re: basketball realistic expectations

quote:

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If this team plays with the effort and determination that I expect, there's no reason they shouldn't at least be .500 in SEC play.

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Maybe. But that alone doesn't put LSU in the NCAAT. What is the non-conf. schedule going to look like? LSU plays in the Maui Invitational, which should at least give them one (possibly three) good neutral site games. Memphis is also on the schedule, but their outlook for next season is pretty bleak right now

Jones had plenty of flaws as a coach, but one of the biggest is that he generally did himself no favors with consistently shitty non-conf. scheduling. His teams always had very little margin for error entering SEC play because they rarely challenged themselves outside the conf (which was usually weak).

The first thing we have to see is the full roster. If he can land Alstork, then a starting 5 of: Mays, Alstork, Sampson, Combs, Reath should be very athletic if nothing else. Next, if Wade can beef up the OOC schedule, then LSU will give itself a shot to make some hay in Nov/Dec. that could pay off significantly in Jan/Feb/March

Until we know the path, it's impossible to say "this should (or shouldn't) be a _____tournament team."