re: LSU basketball recruiting woes in New Orleans

Agree 100 percent. The greatest failing in LSU basketball history, in my opinion, is the failure to adequately recruit New Orleans.

It goes back a long way - I remember Georgetown coming into NOLA and taking a few top notch recruits. Dwayne Bryant and a kid from Cohen in the 80's. It's been going on a long time. LSU has got to get the top NOLA kids.

Why is there an * by DJ?

Livingston has interviewed with LSU at least twice, with both Brady and Trent Johnson. It seems that the issue both times was that he was not finished with his degree.

I know he has it now, althought it is from University of Phoenix if that even counts.

I like Randy and think he would do great, but I don't know that. I think it's a gamble. He's never coached in college and he's never recruited before.

I want him to get into college, because I would love for him to be the head coach one day down the road.

There is an unfilled admin position, like executive assistant or something, but not an on floor coach. Doesn't pay much and probably couldn't get someone like Randy for that.

Can that spot even go on the road and recruit?

we got one... Jarrell Green, 5'10" PG-SG

will be a senior next year

LSU, Tulane, Nicholls State, Xavier, or Delgado talent? if you've seen him, i want some unbiased opinions

i'd say Nicholls State level... he has LSU on his facebook but i don't think he's been touted enough to seriously play there. he is a level beyond everyone else we put on the court though and should be all-district first team

Peabody has one player in D1 right now.

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I'm all for the help with recruiting but posters continuing to cite Randy Livingston are just hoping he's the answer without anything to even remotely back up that claim. Maybe he could, but it's more of an uncertainty than I think most are acting.

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Having been around Randy a decent amount, I think he would be a terrific hire at LSU. Articulate, personable, and well-thought of. Very good basketball mind and very good at communicating when he is seeing. Very relatable and would have numerous connections to a number of high schools and high school coaches.

As for the uncertainty, one could argue that Frank Wilson also didn't have the background or prerequisites to be a successful college coach.

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But Frank also coached at the high school level, was a high school level athletic director and then coached at three colleges prior to coming to LSU.

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I was speaking, more generally, about when Wilson was initially hired at Ole Miss, not when he was hired by LSU. At that point, he had never recruited a single human being, either. But anyone that's read Meat Market could clearly see how good a recruiter he was in his first year.

Not trying to spark an argument, but I personally never buy the whole "he's never recruited" argument because recruiting is about building relationships and trust and being able to relate to young guys. It's not as if recruiting is some secret formula that you need numerous years in coaching to figure out. Having been around Livingston as both a high schooler and older guy, there is little doubt in my mind that he would have a problem recruiting or relating to young guys.

Also, here's a little known face about Randy. He runs a youth basketball organization in New Orleans called Big Easy Elite Club. He very much has a presence within and connections to the New Orleans basketball community.

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I would love to have Randy on staff, but it wouild definitely be a gamble.

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I would simply argue that based on the above, it might not be as much of a gamble as some suggest. Besides, what is there really to lose at this point? Given the state of basketball recruiting at LSU, I think they could do (and have done) much worse. I would consider it a very low risk/high reward situation.

ETA: Another fun little nugget about Livingston: he was being groomed to be the option QB at John Curtis before he transferred to Newman.