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Never understood why teams play a bunch of tomato cans early

Posted on 12/23/25 at 8:47 am
Posted by homemadeshine
Member since Dec 2024
468 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 8:47 am
This seems to be a popular trend with the men's bb team and it's never proven to be beneficial come league play.

Yes, the men have an impressive overall record, but beating Prairie View, Tarleton State, Alcorn State and Omaha keeps you at that level because you haven't been challenged or forced to improve.

I'd rather have four or five losses against good teams heading into league play than manhandling the Little Sisters of the Poor just for a W.

There is a lot of truth to that saying "Iron sharpens iron."
Posted by TigerReich
Member since Dec 2024
792 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 8:49 am to
We played 2 Q1 games and won 50% of them. We will know who we are in a month
Posted by ProjectP2294
South St. Louis city
Member since May 2007
75911 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 8:50 am to
Really good teams want to play other really good teams, with tomato cans mixed in, to make their team actually better.

Mid level teams schedule tomato cans nearly exclusively to make their team look better.
Posted by Yeti_Chaser
Member since Nov 2017
11805 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 8:50 am to
Depends on who you are. LSU just needs wins. No point in getting slaughtered every week. We're trying to make the tourney not win it all
Posted by Circle K Beggar
Somewhere in the lower 48
Member since Feb 2011
7435 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 8:52 am to
quote:

We played 2 Q1 games and won 50% of them


We beat SMU in NOLA!! The biggest achievement in four years of the McMahon error.

The McMen treat that SMU win like we went into Cameron Indoor and beat Duke.
Posted by TigerReich
Member since Dec 2024
792 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 8:54 am to
So bitch and moan that we don’t play anyone with a pulse, then bitch and moan when we do because of where we played them.

Buffoon
Posted by tarzana
TX Hwy 6-- the Brazos River Valley
Member since Sep 2015
30731 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 8:56 am to
quote:

Iron sharpens iron

The exact opposite scheduling strategy from football, where you need to replace games vs Clemson, USC and Florida State with North Alabama, West Georgia and Eastern Kentucky, according to many on this board.
Posted by Tiger2tiga
Member since Sep 2023
1198 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:03 am to
LSU women basketball and lsu baseball schedule the same way.
This post was edited on 12/23/25 at 9:04 am
Posted by DeafVallyBatnR
Member since Sep 2004
18450 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:05 am to
Agree with OP. LSU did play TT but you cant just play one. You have to play atleast 3 or games pre SEC that your team can play that make them mentally ready for an SEC run.

Like OP says beating teams like LSU has been beating means nothing to them in the long run.
Posted by Veritas
Member since Feb 2005
10240 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:06 am to
They’re just trying to get to 20 wins. 20 wins has you in the tourney conversation.
Posted by rds dc
Member since Jun 2008
21048 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:06 am to
CMM rolled out a lineup with no returning starters in it. This team needed time to gel more than they needed to get whipped by Top 20 teams. Now, if LSU ends up on the bubble, splitting the block, then SOS could play into bid vs. no-bid, but it will improve significantly during SEC play.
Posted by FortunateSon
Tennessee
Member since Apr 2024
98 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:06 am to
McMahon talked about this last week. He pointed out that the scheduling was done that way to increase LSU's NET ranking. LSU got up to 34, so it worked to a degree.
Posted by Pintail
Member since Nov 2011
11906 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:09 am to
quote:

Never understood why teams play a bunch of tomato cans early


Look how not doing so worked for BK over his tenure.

quote:

I'd rather have four or five losses against good teams heading into league play than manhandling the Little Sisters of the Poor just for a W.



No you wouldn't. You would be calling for heads.

Posted by ColtTiger247
Jonesville
Member since May 2025
846 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:10 am to
Not a women’s thread but Mulkey is the worst about scheduling a bunch of cupcakes early
Posted by Tigerfan14
Member since Jun 2014
1705 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:14 am to
quote:

Really good teams want to play other really good teams, with tomato cans mixed in, to make their team actually better. Mid level teams schedule tomato cans nearly exclusively to make their team look better.


Yep. On the women’s side, I don’t get why Mulkey still doesn’t play quality teams despite having a contender each year. Playing a bunch of teams you will beat by 50 really doesn’t make sense.
Posted by Tigerfan14
Member since Jun 2014
1705 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:17 am to
quote:

The exact opposite scheduling strategy from football, where you need to replace games vs Clemson, USC and Florida State with North Alabama, West Georgia and Eastern Kentucky, according to many on this board.


It’s almost like it’s a different sport, with different levels of physicality, different perception around loses, different process to get into the post season…
Posted by Lester Earl
3rd Ward
Member since Nov 2003
288557 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:50 am to
There is no universal way to make a successful CBB schedule.

If you play in the SEC and are a bubble tournament team or worse, I think it looks better to compile as many pre-conference wins as possible. You throw in a few landlines to keep everyone honest. I don’t have a problem with LSU’s schedule.
This post was edited on 12/23/25 at 9:56 am
Posted by Shiftyplus1
Regret nothing that made you smile
Member since Oct 2005
14277 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:55 am to
I'd rather have a bunch of "warm-up" games early on, than get tossed into the SEC deep end right out of the gate.
Posted by biggdogg
United States
Member since May 2008
1906 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 10:08 am to
That’s not how it works. Pre conf is practice in real time. Conf is real season big 64 is the fight to the end. Practice and get better. Conf make it work as well as you can. Big 64 every dog has its day leave it all on the court
Posted by SteveLSU35
Shreveport
Member since Mar 2004
14872 posts
Posted on 12/23/25 at 10:12 am to
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