re: Does anyone believe in LSU basketball?

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There is a big problem when Vandy is what LSU fans want the basketball program modeled after. That's the highest hope people have?

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Who said it's the highest hope? I just said that's what I think Trent is trying to build--a consistent top 25 national, top 4 SEC, NCAA tournament team, with great local support, that recruits good students and people, graduates its players and occasionally puts someone into the NBA (more or less what he had at Stanford). I'm not talking about historical Vandy, I'm talking about Vandy NOW. Would anyone really be unhappy if our basketball program had done what Vandy has in the past five years? Doesn't mean we can't, won't, or shouldn't eventually go higher.

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you can't discount the awesome moral victory we had over a kentucky team that was highly motivated to play their a-game against us...i believe.

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Moral victories are for losers, TJ has had enough moral victories here. Kentucky no more wanted to be in that game than flying to the moon and did what they needed to do to win, they toyed with LSU.
I have to admit I thought maybe TJ was turning the corner a little bit when we had something to play for against Ole Miss and we go there and get blown out, then get blown out by Auburn and Oregon. When the program was as bad as we were the last two years we had no where else to go but up. I have said from day one tj was the wrong guy for this job and his three COY trophies were basically handed to him. Anyone and I mean anyone who knows anything about coaching will see that TJ's halftime and timeout adjustments are pretty much non existent. We have been blown out in the 2nd half in just about every game since he has been here. His substitution patterns make no sense and the cluelessness of us coming out of time outs is a joke. Not sure really what we have to look forward to as of today for next year but more mediocrity. I can tell you the powers that be at LSU would have never hired this guy if they knew four years in this is where we would be.....NO WAY he gets hired. 12 SEC wins in three years is a joke for LSU.

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Ok, you go ahead and think LSU basketball is "ahead" of Vandy.

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when is the last time vandy went to the final four? We should strive to beat the best and here most people on here are happy with with MEDIOCRITY at it's best. This program is so far from competing with Kentucky or Florida its a joke.

YES I believe

most teams would die for our two bigs next year. Problem is, not only does our midget back-court present a defensive liability, they also aren't long enough to reach around and throw a proper entry bounce-past to our big men.

The team was better when we had Stringer out. They were learning to score through teamwork. And the ball entered the post more.

I noticed that against Ole Miss; we are really short on having any athletic wings who can take it to the rack or chisled athletes in general.

Our SF regressed.

nevertheless, I believe Trent can will tweak it and make a great run next year.

From then, I think he will do it. I certainly understand those who don't. But I believe him to have the character and knowledge that matters

I'm an LSU basketball fan and supporter no matter what.

Do I believe in TJ? If we get Coleman and Hammink to go with Morgan and some kind of big guy that can give us a solid ten minutes a game it will certainly be a step in that direction.

That will give us the players then we see what Trent does with them. If you want something over than if's then you don't understand basketball. There are always a lot of if's. For instance we desparately need better shooting. If we get that next year and if our players have developed the skills they need to, and if the new players are as stated above and if they play to their press clippings, we could be a very, very good basketball team.

Of course many times the if's don't go the way you want them to. This year Ralston Turner wasn't the dependable scorer with a good shooting percentage that everyone thought he would be. John Issac didn't step in and take Stringer's starting job as some thought he might. Hickey and Hamilton were great but still didn't show up for more games than good coaching should allow.

So I believe the if's will make or break us just like they do every other team.

GD was all of those things you say he wasn't.

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when is the last time vandy went to the final four?

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Since that final 4 LSU is 97-96 with one NCAA trip.

In that same time, Vandy is 139-62 with 5 NCAA trips.

We are far from competing with Kentucky, Florida, or Vandy.

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I don't want to be Vandy, but I'm not blind to fact that Vandy has a hell of a lot better program than we have and we got to climb over them before we even get to Cats and Gators.

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Then why are you satisfied with a coach who will build a Vandy-like program? We need a coach who will build a Florida-like program or a UK-like program.

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Ok, you go ahead and think LSU basketball is "ahead" of Vandy.

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All-time, of course we are, by a mile. In your 17-year cherry-picked period, it's about even. In your new cherry-picked six-year period, of course they're ahead. The point is not whether we are ahead of them, it's whether they are an appropriate model for our program. They're not. They're a mediocre basketball school at best. Saying he'll build a Vandy-like program is NOT an endorsement of a coach, or at least it shouldn't be at LSU.

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Also, how can people not be excited about a freshman point guard that played as well as Hickey did?

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Missing 13 three's a game is playing well?

I am usually optimistic about all LSU athletics, but I honestly don't exepct much more than mediocrity from the basketball program until LSU gets a new coach and/or recruiting improves. I hope I am wrong.