re: Very Inconsistent team but who knows? Maybe

Personally, I couldn't care less about the NIT. I wouldn't be estatic if LSU won. Likewise, I wouldn't be angry if they lost in the first round. It just kind of is what it is. Basically it's just a consolation tournament.

That said, I'm glad for the seniors that they get to play at least one (maybe more) extra game(s). You only get one chance to play college basketball and once it's over it's over.

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Different Vibes from different players sorry to say. Everyone's agenda is not the same, which explains why sometimes we click and sometimes we don't. Maybe come game time everyone will have a winners attitude and want to go out and make a run towards the Garden.

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As is to be expected for the NIT.

I suspect the same thing could be said for 90% of the teams playing in this tournament. The NIT is no player's or team's goal (at least it shouldn't be). While us fans can't "fathom" why the team wouldn't be fired up to play in the tournament, we aren't the ones who have been working, practicing, etc. daily for 5 months. I could certainly see more than a few players just saying "I'm exhausted. We didn't make the NCAAT, so I'd rather just call it a year and get ready for a new run next season." This isn't unlike a college football team making it to some lower-tier bowl game. It can become just as much of an obligation to play in the game as an opportunity. Again, this isn't specific just to LSU. Now if there is a lack of motivation during the regular season, that is a big time cause for concern.

The NIT could be a springboard to good things (see Whichita St. a few years back). However, it just as easily could not. See South Carolina's back to back titles and the success (or lack thereof) it led to.

Frankly, I don't see the team (as a whole) being very fired up to play in the game. If it's close in the first half, then I think the competitive nature of all involved will come through and LSU will play to win. If not, they'll just pack it in and call it a year.

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Do yall realize that this is not how it works at this level? 19 year olds dont "pack it in". If they lose, its will be because they do not play as good as USF. It wont have anything to do with lack of motivation

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Come on now, don't be naive. This happens all the time at the college and HS level. In fact, I would bet that 19 year olds are much more prone to just packing it in than those who are older and more experienced. This issue always discussed during college bowl season. It's the professionals who are more apt to keep fighting to the end as opposed to younger kids.

UK got beat by Robert Morris last year in this tournament. While RM wasn't a bad team, do you really think they could have beaten UK if UK played with the same effort they bring when playing Louisville or Florida? Hell, I don't even think Calipari really cared whether or not they won that game.

don't compare a bowl game with a 37 day gap to a basketball tourney lest than a week removed from the season.

You don't step on the court and "not play". That's a cop out for when teams aren't good enough to win

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Different Vibes from different players sorry to say. Everyone's agenda is not the same, which explains why sometimes we click and sometimes we don't. Maybe come game time everyone will have a winners attitude and want to go out and make a run towards the Garden.

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MichaelStringerLSU10

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i hear ya dude, i've thought all along all the guys on the team are good dudes, i just think the fact that most of them are kinda quiet passive guys has hurt us

this team needed a loud intense vocal leader, none of the personality types on this years squad really filled that role, so when things got bad at times nobody was really there to pull the huddle together and make the rest of the guys follow him

i really like all the guys on this team but bc of a lack of strong leadership type personalities i could see how

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different Vibes from different players sorry to say. Everyone's agenda is not the same

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this is the case

when I said different vibes I didn't mean some wanted to play and some didn't. I meant some play for different reasons, where their are a few that play with Winning as the only goal, some play for other reasons that have nothing to do with the team at times.

I also believe that the very predictable offense in which we literally give the ball to JOB every single time down has cause some players to almost Tap out.

ex. You take Hickey, his major attribute is his speed, ability to create on fast break or transition and ad-lib and make plays. You put him in a position where you only want him to walk it down and give it to JOB and just stand there, you're essentially cutting his legs off. Eventually he's going to become disinterested and bogged down.

Same with Mickey and Martin they are much better players in uptempo situations, they aren't classic back to the basket post players they're Hybrids. Martin gets out in Transition and dunks or finishes every time. You put him in a "stand and look at JOB" offense you get an erratic, jump shooting 6'9 forward.

So its hard to blame some of them for feeling how they feel, cause they don't all have the same mentality. Whereas Andre may feel how they feel his mindset is going to say I'm just going to play hard and make the best of the situation, but all of them can't do that.

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I also believe that the very predictable offense in which we literally give the ball to JOB every single time down has cause some players to almost Tap out.

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I can see this as well.

When JOB is dominating, it's a solid strategy. When he's not, it ends up with the majority of the team frustrated. If JOB was better at passing out of double teams and hitting open players, it would be fluid.

Instead it just bogs down and creates a shitty offensive strategy.

I just call it like I see it, I definitely could be wrong.

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his dribble penetration and kickouts to the open man. hickey is capable of this but seems hesitant at times due to his FT struggles.

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I don't agree with this. IMO, Hickey appears to run the offense from the periphery. I don't think he's ever effectively gotten into the lane consistently within the half court offense. Quarterman seems to be better at this, again imo, but he seems like he can get around his defender, get into the lane, make other defenders commit to him and then pass it off for an easy basket or shoot the ball and inevitibly miss, but he'll get better at finishing I'm sure. Hickey can get to the basket on the break, but other than that, he's not often driving to finish at the rim or to open up teammates, but instead fakes to drive to create room to get off a jump shot. I think Hickey is a great player, but he's not a dribble-drive and pass guy, more of an offensive facilitator.

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He didn't shoot a free throw in the tournament while playing 65 minutes. I don't see how anyone thinks he's doing much penetration.

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We're not playing to his strengths by having him drive in and get fouled. LEt's keep in mind he's a career ~50% FT shooter.

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when I said different vibes I didn't mean some wanted to play and some didn't. I meant some play for different reasons, where their are a few that play with Winning as the only goal, some play for other reasons that have nothing to do with the team at times.

I also believe that the very predictable offense in which we literally give the ball to JOB every single time down has cause some players to almost Tap out.

ex. You take Hickey, his major attribute is his speed, ability to create on fast break or transition and ad-lib and make plays. You put him in a position where you only want him to walk it down and give it to JOB and just stand there, you're essentially cutting his legs off. Eventually he's going to become disinterested and bogged down.

Same with Mickey and Martin they are much better players in uptempo situations, they aren't classic back to the basket post players they're Hybrids. Martin gets out in Transition and dunks or finishes every time. You put him in a "stand and look at JOB" offense you get an erratic, jump shooting 6'9 forward.

So its hard to blame some of them for feeling how they feel, cause they don't all have the same mentality. Whereas Andre may feel how they feel his mindset is going to say I'm just going to play hard and make the best of the situation, but all of them can't do that.

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Honestly, this explains our entire season. It's so frustrating. If any player doesn't want to attempt to win championships as a team, then leave and don't come back for another year. If it's all about you, then go to the D-League. While you're at LSU, you play for the name on the front of your jersey, not the one on the back.