All this talk about cook and rightfully so , but Carlos Stewart has had “ knee soreness “ for awhile now . He also got hurt right after he was benched . This a guy we were counting on to be a huge contributor this year . I’ve also heard the staff is not happy at all with cook or Stewart and would be surprised if we see either of them to finish this year . Makes the job Matt has done the last couple of weeks even more impressive when two guys he was counting on this year are choosing to sit in warmups on the bench while their teammates play their arse off without them

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Posted by Alt26

Member since Mar 2010

28470 posts

Posted on 3/4/24 at 11:35 am to polarbear6

quote:
ll this talk about cook and rightfully so , but Carlos Stewart has had “ knee soreness “ for awhile now . He also got hurt right after he was benched . This a guy we were counting on to be a huge contributor this year . I’ve also heard the staff is not happy at all with cook or Stewart and would be surprised if we see either of them to finish this year . Makes the job Matt has done the last couple of weeks even more impressive when two guys he was counting on this year are choosing to sit in warmups on the bench while their teammates play their arse off without them

I don't know if that is or is not true, but potential situations such as that probably come with the territory a bit when you are dealing with transfer players. More often than not guys are transferring for a larger role than they were getting at their previous school OR, at minimum, a similar role. Stewart and Cook were all conference players at their previous schools last year. It's doubtful either was looking to go somewhere to take a backup role.

To be fair though, Stewart started the first 7 games of the season. His production in those starts was ok, but not remarkable. Cook couldn't play until mid/late December. He almost immediately became a starter once he became eligible. So it's not like McMahon sold them on big roles and then buried them on the bench right away. Now, I don't believe either guy is faking injury or just flat out refusing to play. But I think both kind of decided they weren't going to play through any discomfort given diminished roles, so McMahon had to move on with who he had. That group has found a way to win 4 of their last 5 games. Given that, and the fact LSU isn't really playing for anything big (such as a NCAAT birth or conf. championship), I don't think McMahon has a huge sense of urgency to rush either guy back. He's going to continue to go with the guys he has because they have been winning.

Do both Cook and Stewart come back to LSU after this season? Who the hell knows. I know the numbers say SEC teams, on average, lose 3-4 transfers a year now. So it's likely LSU was always going to lose a few guys in the offseason. Who that might be is unknown. But it does feel like if McMahon can get at least one more win this season he won't be going into the offseason in desperation mode like he was last season. That may give him a bit more leverage with his roster and the transfer market.

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Posted by mcmaniacinsaneasylum

Baton Rouge

Member since Feb 2023

1976 posts

Posted on 3/4/24 at 12:03 pm to polarbear6

quote:
All this talk about cook and rightfully so , but Carlos Stewart has had “ knee soreness “ for awhile now . He also got hurt right after he was benched . This a guy we were counting on to be a huge contributor this year . I’ve also heard the staff is not happy at all with cook or Stewart and would be surprised if we see either of them to finish this year . Makes the job Matt has done the last couple of weeks even more impressive when two guys he was counting on this year are choosing to sit in warmups on the bench while their teammates play their arse off without them

Agreed 100% that McMahon has been doing tremendously with a depleted roster. I think there's a silver lining to Cook's injury, it's allowed Ward to come into his own as a player and have a larger role on offense. Against Vandy especially I loved his shot diet. He wasn't afraid to take it into the paint and it's clear he's not afraid of contact. He had some nice hop steps, spin moves, etc.

On the other hand, I was EXTREMELY disappointed with Stewart's production this year. I was really high on him coming out of Santa Clara. I do think a large part of his lack of production has to do with role, scheme, and fit- BUT even when he did get a chance to shine a lot of it was poor and underwhelming. He also contributed to our piss poor perimeter defense at the start of the year.

Unless he makes huge leaps in the offseason, I don't really know where he fits into the team moving forward. Curtis Givens is likely better and at worst just as good from day 1. If Cook stays (which depends entirely on whether or not he graduates imo) Stewart will be pushed further down the rotation. I genuinely think we can get someone better in the portal. Hell if we sign Anthony Gilkes he'd probably be better than Stewart. I've even joked to some of my buddies that MM should politely ask him to transfer.

Regarding Cook, I do think he genuinely was dealing with a hamstring injury. Watching his movement after the win vs Kentucky sold it on me. I think that he is cleared to play now, but he is likely not at 100%. Undoubtedly, he's choosing not to play. But the WHY is just conjecture. Maybe he wants to transfer. Maybe he wants to wait until he's 100%. Who knows. What I do know is that he is a good player (but he is replaceable) and that the things Trae Hannibal does contribute more to winning.

I'm not as low on Cook as others. I do think his body language has been poor at times (reminds me of Brandon Murray), but I do think if MM pulls the reins in on him he could be a productive player. Better shot IQ and an emphasis on making others around him better would make him a better fit for this team.

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