re: MBB : Early conference play opinion

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I have been very disappointed with his defense. Or else his defense at Tulane last year was absolutely horrible.

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He wasn't a good defender at Tulane. That was my biggest concern about him going into the season. I knew he could score. But given LSU's defense was worse than their offense last season, they needed to improve on both ends of the floor this season.

On Saturday McMahon had to replace Cook on two separate occasions with Williams and Hannibal because was letting his man drive with impunity anytime he wanted. That caused LSU's defense to get put in the wash in rotations...which led to them being out of position to rebound even when A&M continued to miss shots. If you are a +/- guy, Cook was LSU's worst player (-9) on Saturday.

His insertion in the lineup has helped turn LSU around. No question. But he HAS to be better than he's been thus far for LSU to win games. Other guys are stepping up...which is why the games have been relatively close despite Cook not playing well. He doesn't need to by Gary Payton out there. But he can't be so bad that the coach has to replace him in pivotal moments in the game because of a lack of defense.