re: If J. Jones doesn't make the NCAA tourney next season

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Wait until next year because Ben S is coming in. I heard the same thing last year..."if JOB stays we will be so much better or wait until Martin comes in or blah blah blah. Wake up people. If we fail next year it will be if only JOB would have stayed. We have an average coach...accept it.

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+1

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Will he get fired or will a trip to the NIT be enough to save his job?

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I can't imagine he gets any less than 4 years, and though I was not a fan of the hire I'm fine with that.

Johnny has alot of friends with money and influence solidly behind him, including one who the LSU admins seem to be a bit intimidated by.

But even if you get past that, he has set up a staff that can flat out recruit and has a son who plays on the local scene at a school that has at least 3 D-1 prospects and can probably establish beneficial ties on the local AAU scene.

So he's gonna be here awhile.

I do think there are coaching issues that need to be addressed and I haven't ruled out the possibility that he can self evaluate and address those, learn and get better.

I like Johnny....hell, everyone likes Johnny. That's ultimately why he got this job.

I want him to succeed. Doesn't mean I have to be happy with this season. I don't think any real fan should.

But it isn't the litmus test anymore than last year was. I just want to see signs that we will progress and develop the program in the next couple of years.

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Name the coaches that have turned really bad programs into really good programs in 2 years.

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The list would certainly not be long, but IMHO that does not lessen the disappointment this year.

I wasn't expecting really good...just better than this, and I don't think that unreasonable.

Haven't given up or called for firing anyone, but to to judget this year underachievement to this point is not IMHO a reach.

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JJ has been saddled with two undersized guards, which hurt more than people think.

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I actually think it hurts less than some think, especially in this conference, but to say having them in the game at the same time for long stretches of time does not hurt us against some teams would be ignorant.

Having said that, I do think the staff had to realize that going in and overestimated how significantly Quarterman would be able to contribute early. I say that because it was indicated strongly and repeatedly before the year began by staff and players alike. And I think they also felt Morgan would be a bit more consistent before he got hurt.

Had they not thought this.I think they would have gone JUCO or transfer for immediate help like they did with Carmouche last year.

Whatever the impact of that, I still don't think 9-9 in this conference this year is acceptable.

Last year yes, this year no.

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I can't imagine he gets any less than 4 years, and though I was not a fan of the hire I'm fine with that.

Johnny has alot of friends with money and influence solidly behind him, including one who the LSU admins seem to be a bit intimidated by.

But even if you get past that, he has set up a staff that can flat out recruit and has a son who plays on the local scene at a school that has at least 3 D-1 prospects and can probably establish beneficial ties on the local AAU scene.

So he's gonna be here awhile.

I do think there are coaching issues that need to be addressed and I haven't ruled out the possibility that he can self evaluate and address those, learn and get better.

I like Johnny....hell, everyone likes Johnny. That's ultimately why he got this job.

I want him to succeed. Doesn't mean I have to be happy with this season. I don't think any real fan should.

But it isn't the litmus test anymore than last year was. I just want to see signs that we will progress and develop the program in the next couple of years.

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I agree with pretty much all of this except the last statement. While this season wasn't a "make or break" season, it certainly was a litmus test. With the combination of returning vets and a heralded recruiting class, this team should have be MUCH better than .500 in a weak SEC. Really only Florida had the combination of young and "old" players that LSU had coming into this year. Granted no one is saying that LSU should have run the table in the SEC, but certainly an improvement on last year's 18-11 (9-9) team was not unreasonable. Last year wasn't a litmus test. This year was "next year" in terms of SEC success that LSU basketball fans have been told to wait for.

Next year's SEC is setting up to potentially be just as weak as this year's version. UF is losing 4 senior starters. UK's "one and done" philosophy is starting to become a bit of a crapshoot. UT is likely going to lose Stokes, and definitely McRae. Mizzou is going to lose their big time guards.

Assuming Mickey and Martin are back. This team should return at least 3 solid starters and add two guys who have had some success already at the D-1 level (Gray and Hornsby). The bench will still be a question mark. Simply put, the question will be can the coaching staff get something out of that group? A third straight 9-9 SEC season, and I don't think it would be at all unreasonable to start to seriously doubt that JJ will be the guy to return LSU basketball to the upper echelon of the SEC.

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With the combination of returning vets and a heralded recruiting class, this team should have be MUCH better than .500 in a weak SEC.

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I don't disagree with that at all Alt, I am just giving him the benefit of the doubt that he can learn, make the necessary changes and not repeat the mistakes of this year down the road. Don't mean I accept it or am happy with it.

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Simply put, the question will be can the coaching staff get something out of that group?

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Exactly...If Johnny is teaching the right things the kids this year IMHO were not buying in for whatever reason.

I have some issues on his system. This end of half and end of game stuff of standing around until there's 7 seconds left has got to stop and we've got to get some decent inbound plays.

But other stuff that is pretty simple that we are not doing is simply kids repeatedly making fundamental errors over and over on things I know they work on. There's a disconnect. That has to be fixed.

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In my opinion, Johnny should get 1 more season...but he'll probably get 2 more even if he doesnt make the NCAAT next year because of Simmons

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I'm not putting Johnny on the hot seat, but even if I was it would a futile exercise, because the cartel that got him hired has juice and as you say he's done his work recruiting and that, even without the cartel buys him time.

But I think your disappointment with this season is valid and reasonable and I share it.

What's even the benefit of having this conversation? There's so little evidence to accurately assess JJ so far. He's recruited superbly, but he's lacked the complete personnel these 2 years w/ TJ stayovers like Stringer, Ludwig, etc. to compete like this team should. Yeah this team "underachieved" this year relative to talent, but you're a fool if you think JJ is not a good for this program.

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So is Simmons coming in for next season? Or the season after that?

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2 years. 2015-2016 season

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even though we likely lose JOB III (who has no business leaving, but his mind has been made up).

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I was thinking during the game yesterday that we might actually be better without JOB.
Last night we seemed run the "no Johnny" offense much better than the "go to JOB" one. Once the offense with the only goal of "get the ball inside to JOB" was gone. Every team in the SEC knows that's the offense we run 95% of the time, and he's not all that good at passing out of it - he's too slow.

Unlike the Vandy game, Johnny didn't really show up and was a non-factor.

I'm not too worried that we lose him for next year. I'd like to see us play a faster game with a variety of offenses.

I think the pro game might suit him better (not thinking the NBA, more the D League).