re: Any smoke on what's happened to the MBB program behind the scenes?

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A&M then completely shut down LSU's offense in the next game and, evidently, provided the blueprint to the rest of the league on how to do so.

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Think it was more what Florida did in the second half of that game after their 16 year old coach outschemed ours. Aggies went with some trapping presses that slowed our tempo (even more) and exploited our outrageously bad fundamentals/basketball IQ

We had a sleazy coach that got caught. Now we're paying the price.

void

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Well I've spoken at great lengths about this, even did a YouTube video on it. So I definitely agree.

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Assuming that is your video, it's very well done. I agree with everything you said. Particularly about the lack of purpose in which LSU executes their offense. Often times there is seemingly so little effort in their movements. I don't think that is a matter of laziness or lack of athleticism. I think it is a result of hesitancy. All year long far too often guys look unsure of who is supposed to be doing what. They are kind of easing into screens and/or not really cutting hard because they seem to not be very sure if that is what they are supposed to be doing.

To some degree that falls on the players because I doubt the coaches aren't looking at the film and showing them what they are supposed to be doing. But a bigger part falls on the coaches. If you are in nearly game 30 of the season and there is still a ton of hesitancy, then it is clear whatever you are teaching is not getting through.

McMahon is going to have to makes some MASSIVE adjustments ahead of next season. If he wants to continue to run the ball-screen heavy offense, then he has got to find a capable PG to execute it. More troublesome though is he won't have the post player to executed in KJ. MAYBE that guy could be Reed. But Reed is not your "traditional post". He wants to be more of wing than a post player. You saw flashes, particularly in the Missouri game, of what he can be. But far too often he seemed aloof and disengaged. It reminded me of Naz Reid early in his freshman year. He started the season just wanting to be a 6'10 wing shooting from deep and clumsily trying to attack off the dribble. LsU blew a big late lead vs. Florida St early in the season where Reid had 2 total rebounds in 41 minutes. LSU lost the game because they just got crushed on the glass. Particularly on the offensive glass where FSU had 22 offensive rebounds to LSU's 4. After that game Wade made it a point of emphasis to get Reid's big arse in the post. That started a turnaround with LSU becoming a dominant offensive rebounding team that year....which led them to becoming a dominant team. Wade adjusted. McMahon never did.

If McMahon can't find the personnel, then he MUST change his approach to fit what he has. He can't go through another year of this absolutely abysmal offense. It will be interesting to see what road he takes. Can he get the guys to run what he wants to run? If not, is he willing to change to fit his personnel. If neither, next year may be worse than this year, and he may find himself out of a job soon thereafter.

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I remember folks saying this about Jay Johnson last year, too.

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What is Mac's first year record?
Johnson's?
Mulkey"s?
Kelly'S?

What is the difference?

ALT 26, I agree with everything you write here. But go back to March of last year and read our protracted exchange when I basically predicted this mess and you called me an "idiot" because I said:

"You think we will field an SEC roster? I believe we will likely lose every SEC conference game for the next two years. Good news will be if the guys have a really good night and win 1 or 2 SEC games. The only competitive games we will have is when we play the Louisiana teams in our non-conference schedule."

Which is exactly how it has played out. But our total exchange from March of last year is fairly entertaining. I am not actually gloating (maybe I am), but I was sincerely hoping my analysis and predictions would be totally wrong. Unfortunately we will have to live with this mess for the next three or four years. Hoping beyond all hope he climbs out of this and puts a competitive team on the floor.

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It's hard to recruit to a school when you don't know if the NCAA is going to hand down sanctions.

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Baloney!

Why not post in the 100 other threads that were created 2 days ago?

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hat I see looks like a guy who is trying to "build a program" which was a good model at one time but I think Wade said it best when he said that with NIL and the portal it is now about building a team every year rather than building a program.

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I think you make a good point here. Back in the 80's when I played high school ball, but I relate this to college as well....the big buzzword was "system". Our system against there system - they have a good system, on and on. You heard it constantly back then.

You really don't hear that anymore but I would imagine at the smaller schools as you indicate that still might be a thing.

I agree wholeheartedly; in our last discussion I felt his hire was a mistake because his previous experience did not provide me any optimism that he could recruit at this level. Additionally, I was not confident he could coach against SEC competition consistently. I think even CWW struggled here. Your comment about his family trying to struggle through games in an empty gym is very true and sort of heartbreaking because I also think he is a good guy and desperately wanted to win here. I really hope he provides you an opportunity to gloat back at me, for all our sake.