As I have mentioned on previous occasions, I have been an LSU Basketball fan since the mid-1980’s. I have seen the glory days and those games that one could only shake their head in disgust. The Trent Johnson era was marred with head-shaking games. Many fans voiced their disapproval of my criticism of Trent Johnson’s job performance. Now, we are in the Johnny Jones era. The Tigers are 0-2 in SEC play, and many are anticipating my harsh criticism of these Tigers. These many people are quite wrong. When comparing these two coaches and their respective teams, it is comparing apples to oranges. The Trent Johnson-coached Tigers never saw any enthusiasm from their coach. Their offensive schemes were more of a one-on-one offensive street play. Defensively, they were flat-footed, slow, and unresponsive to dribble penetration. It was a total embarrassment to watch, in person or on TV.
Now, the Johnny Jones era is a tale of a different team. This coach, who knows the history of the program as he has been a part of the program’s history unlike Johnson, is working hard to restore the pride and passion of LSU Basketball. He has a clear goal of team and program success and wants to bring back the “Deaf Dome” to the Maravich Center. These Tigers are feisty defensively, with a press that caused much confusion to the #11 Florida Gators in the second half of Saturday’s game. Many people believe that a press is unsuccessful if it doesn’t result in a turnover. This is simply not true. If a press disrupts the offensive flow of an opponent, then it has been successful. A turnover is just some extra. While their press did result in some Gator layups due to break downs, it was better defense than has been seen in the previous years with Trent Johnson. Offensively, they are running plays with screen, cuts, and dribble penetration to the glass.
I am fully supportive of Johnny Jones and the job he and his staff are doing. The golden years are coming back. The Deaf Dome is coming back! Finally, we have a coach that loves LSU and is dedicated to its long-term success. Thumbs up, Coach Jones! Thumbs up!