re: MBB : Early conference play opinion

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But McMahon seems to be more of a developer than those guys and needs the core of his team to be upperclassmen that he developed.

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That's not necessarily a great trait in this era of college basketball. Most guys don't stay long enough to be "developed".

Outside of Tennessee, probably the program that has had the most consistent success in the SEC has been Alabama. Now, Alabama's basketball history is no better than LSU's. In fact, LSU's is probably better on the whole. Both are "football schools" first. Both have "old" facilities. Frankly, there is NO reason LSU couldn't have a program similar to that of Alabama. The difference is Nate Oats. He may be a douchebag, but (to borrow a line from The Big Lebowski) That creep can coach. And he's essentially flipping the roster year after year. Alabama is not as good as they were last year. But he lost 10 players from last year's roster. Despite that, they are still up there with Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky at the top of the SEC right now.

For better or worse, that's what it takes now. You have to get in big time talent, win with it immediately, the flip the roster and do it again next year. Redshirting guys and slowly developing them to blossom in year 3, 4, 5, isn't sustainable because the players don't want to stay that long in one spot. Jordan Wright developed 4 years at Vandy. He should be the star of their team this year for a group that had a decent season last year. Instead, he's at LSU. Cook was an All conference player at Tulane. Doesn't matter. He's back at the place he previously left. Stewart was all conference at Santa Clara. Now he's at the end of LSU's bench. Shawn Phillips was probably set to be LSU's starting Center this year after showing some good play at the end of last season. Instead, he's a Arizona State coming off the bench to play 12 minutes. It seems counterintuitive, but guys all across the nation are leaving GOOD situations to go elsewhere.

McMahon seems to have done a better job in the portal this season than last. That we can all agree on. But if he's ever going to have big success here it's unlikely its going to come from stacking and developing recruiting classes. He's still going to have to recruit well, but he has to hit even bigger in the portal, and repeat it year after year after year.