I’m here to say lsu men’s basketball will make the tourney just like Jay Bilas said

The bench worries me. I think losing Reed was huge just like it was last year. 8 points off the bench against BC and 6 tonight. That's not going to cut it. Also, i think Mckinnon is going to have to remain consistent on his 3s otherwise we have no 3 pint threat

Losing Reed was a net positive. He was very unathletic and didn’t move great with the injury. We were in foul trouble early with Nwoko and Miller, but we already have 4 bigs, having 5 bigs was too much. Tamba is an energizer and a great glue guy. We need Miller to get reps and he wasn’t going to get many with Reed.

I would like to see Zipper’s minutes increase a little, but King/Reece are very solid players off the bench and know their role. People talk about a bench, but no one in America has a bench because of NIL.

TT vs Arkansas tonight, TT played 6 players, Arkansas played 8. If you look around at top 25 they don’t typically play more than 7-8 guys.

you may not have to be .500 to make the tournament

So just like when they were led by "the General"

The reason it hurts to lose Reed is that Nwoko gets in foul trouble every game, and Reed is better than Milller. Miller keeps improving, but he also fouls a lot. Reed played strong, could score from anywhere, and played sound defense. He wasn’t an allstar, but he made us better. His loss was way bigger last year, but it is still significant this year too. Sutton is the wild card , because he can play the 5 spot , but he isn’t nearly as strong as most 5s in the SEC. His quickness may make up for it when needed. Last year we didn’t have other options, so I think Reed’s loss will be overcome, but it isn’t a given.

Losing Reed hurt this team from a depth standpoint. He still wasn’t 100% but could give you 6-8 points and some rebounds off the bench. He can also hit the 3 so he brings the bigs out which opens the lane. Neither Nwoko or Miller can do that. People need to chill and just support the tigers. If they make the tournament then we’ve improved. If they don’t then McMahon may be let go. But this constant barrage of bitching when they win is pathetic.

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But this constant barrage of bitching when they win is pathetic.

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I think it is a byproduct of people trying to push their hyperbolic takes after just a single result. McMahon is not suddenly a great coach because he beat SMU or has had a good start against a very weak schedule. But the season was not over simply because LSU got pummeled by Texas Tech.

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If they make the tournament then we’ve improved. If they don’t then McMahon may be let go.

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That said, you can't just forget the last three years haven't happened. We have debated...and I'm certain will continue to debate the reason(s) for that poor performance, but the fact is (cumulatively) LSU has been the worst program in the league...by many metrics.

Which then leads to what should be the ultimate question...what does LSU want this program to be? One that if everything goes right, they occasionally sneak into the NCAA Tournament? Or one that annually competes at the highest level of the sport? And LSU has the potential to do so IF they have the right HC. Just like Alabama, or Auburn, or Tennessee, or Florida, etc. NONE of those programs were historic "blue bloods" like Kentucky. They just found the right HC at the right time.

If LSU reaches the NCAA Tournament this season that will be a very welcomed improvement. But I think simply getting in is short-sighted in the evaluation of McMahon. The reason is because in CBB today "improvement" is not necessarily linear because just about every team starts (almost) from scratch each season with the amount of player movement. IMO, this season (assuming they win the last 3) LSU has generally passed the test in the OOC portion of the schedule. Even with the blowout loss to Texas Tech. Now can McMahon show he has the chops to compete in the top 3 of the SEC? IMO, that's a better barometer of the program than simply sliding into the NCAAT on the bubble. Can you show you can compete in 18 tough games against good competition?

Otherwise, you run the risk of being like NC State. 2 years ago NC State was set to fire their HC, Kevin Keatts. In 6 seasons his program was mediocre. They made the NCAAT a couple of years, but got bounced quickly. After a 10th place finish in the ACC he was going to be fired...Then his team went on a heater to win the ACC tournament and unexpectedly get into the NCAAT. Then they stayed hot and had a remarkable run to the Final Four. Everyone was excited. Keatts was retained. It was like the prior 6 years didn't matter....then Keatts immediately had a losing season, finishing near the bottom of the ACC, and was let go. That fluke in March a year prior ultimately resulted in a wasted season the next year before doing the inevitable.

Certainly, I'm not saying McMahon should be fired if he somehow makes the Final Four. But I don't think "just making the tournament" should be the benchmark either.

If MacKinnon shoots 86% from 3 every game, sure we will. The problem is he will be red hot one game then have a game or two where he is terrible.

Really though, like every McMahon team, this team will have major problems when we start going up against the physical big men in the SEC.