re: Every knowledgeable basketball person you hear or read from

quote:

---

So was the goal to be really good last year while sucking this year?

---

I acknowledge that Missouri is struggling badly this season and McMahon may ultimately prove to be the more successful HC. The point of the discussion, which you choose to ignore, was in response to claims that "Nobody could have done better" than McMahon did last year given the circumstances he faced. I'm simply pointing out a HC that had to deal with comparable circumstance in terms of the lack of returning players and rebuilding a roster who performed SIGNIFICANTLY better than McMahon did last year. That should invalidate this absurd line of thinking that last season should have no bearing on the judgment of McMahon at all. I'm not saying last season is the ONLY thing upon which McMahon should ultimately be judged. But its ridiculous to suggest it shouldn't be part of the equation.

quote:

---

One of those 2 returning players was Kobe Brown, a 1st rd draft pick in the NBA following the season.

---

Great. And LSU had a player who averaged more PPG and rebounds than Brown did last season (KJ Williams). Regardless of how each became a part of the roster (via returning or transfer) they were both on the rosters of their teams last season. So, at worst, McMahon had a guy to equal (actually exceed) Brown's production. What's the excuse for the lack of production from the rest of LSU's players relative that that of Missouri's?

McMahon did a terrible job last season. That doesn't mean he can't improve. That doesn't mean he can't become a great HC at LSU. But it doesn't mean he should get a pass for it either when there are other HCs who faced similar challenges upon taking the job in terms of a lack of players on the roster and performed much, much better. The oft-repeated narrative that "this is year 1" of the evaluation is stupid. It's year 2.