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re: I'm really trying to understand why McMahon's teams are so bad
Posted on 2/25/26 at 3:56 pm to tigersbb
Posted on 2/25/26 at 3:56 pm to tigersbb
quote:if one player is separating you from the ncaa tournament and last place in conference, that is a problem
Offense operates at a high level when healhy. but....
His All conference level PG has been lost for the season who makes everyone around him better.
His most skilled and experienced inside player has been lost for the season the second year in a row.
2
Posted on 2/25/26 at 3:59 pm to ThePoo
quote:
if one player is separating you from the ncaa tournament and last place in conference, that is a problem
Sounds like a roster funding problem to me. Pay up or enjoy a mediocre to bad team.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:00 pm to Lucado
quote:
Let's assume for argument's sake it's that simple. What about the three preceding seasons?
Year 1 he inherited a moribund program facing NCAA sanctions and an empty roster.
Year 2 finished 9-9 in upper half of th eSEC with relatively healthy roster. Cook showed his arse at the end of the season butHannibal played well down the stretch.
Year 3 the two best returning experienced players were lost for th eseason to injury and personal issues and Chest and Little Rapper missed significant time with injuries.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:01 pm to ThePoo
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:01 pm to Lucado
quote:
1. Is it an overall lack of talent relative to the other teams in the conference?
Yes. That’s a major issue.
quote:
Something else? Some combination of the above?
From a tactical standpoint his teams have never shot the 3 well (death in college basketball…really all basketball these days) and hasn’t defended the 3 well.
Additionally, I don’t think he’s ever had a team that rebounded well.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:06 pm to Big EZ Tiger
quote:
Also, the coach does not seem to get the team motivated enough to overcome their lack of star talent.
This is a false narrative, as bad as we are, we at least give 100% if you're watching the games.
The main problem is depth to overcome injury. We have an offense built around the PG, and we lost him. Reece is developing nicely like Miller did last year, but he may leave. We also have bigs who can't stay out of foul trouble and lost our best all around big in Reed early on as well.
Also, we aren't as pathetic as you might think as a team compared to other SEC teams. This is mostly WITHOUT our 2 best players:
Points 10th
FG% 6th
3p% 13th
FT% 4th
Assists 10th
Turnovers 8th
Rebounds 10th
Compare this to last year:
Points 15th
FG% 14th
3p% 16th
FT% 14th
Assists 13th
Turnovers 16th
Rebounds 10th
Statistically, we should be a mid-tier team. We just can't close out games, and have had some really bad turnovers late, in addition to injury.
Before anyone gets bent out of shape, this is 100% on McMahon. If he gets another shot next year(not saying he should), this is why.
This post was edited on 2/25/26 at 4:07 pm
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:06 pm to Lucado
quote:
1. Is it an overall lack of talent relative to the other teams in the conference?
See, it wasn't that difficult.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:08 pm to tigersbb
quote:
He has evaluated well enough, but ....His All conference level PG has been lost for the season who makes everyone around him better.
His most skilled and experienced inside player has been lost for the season the second year in a row.
I'm no expert, but if in year 4 your entire team's performance goes to shite without 2 players then I don't think you've evaluated talent "well enough." You should have more than enough depth to make a passable effort on the court.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:08 pm to The Pirate King
quote:
Just awful timing with he and Reed getting hurt before SEC play even started.
Its the main reason they struggle. Basketball is a top heavy sport. You can't lose your best players and do well
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:09 pm to lsudave1
quote:
Dedan Thomas is a decent player but he is nowhere near all conference level. Watch Darius Acuff, Labaron Philon, or the Tahaad Pettiford if you want to see what an all conference level PG looks like.
Your post is both right and wrong
Dedan Thomas is much better than a "decent player", but to be all-conference in today's SEC you need to be a legit NBA prospect (Acuff is going top 10 and Philon probably top 20). We don't have that type of top level talent, and McMahon's teams don't seem to have the identity or continuity you need to succeed without NBA players
Also Tahaad Pettiford has had a pretty disappointing season btw, I'd take Thomas over him straight up
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:25 pm to The Pirate King
quote:
So you are admitting that the program isn't properly funded to compete with the better teams in the SEC?
No because we have consistently had higher rated recruiting classes than the reigning national champions. We do not have a coach who has a method behind his recruiting or on court decisions.
This post was edited on 2/25/26 at 4:26 pm
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:25 pm to tigersbb
quote:
Offense operates at a high level when healhy. but....
His All conference level PG has been lost for the season who makes everyone around him better.
His most skilled and experienced inside player has been lost for the season the second year in a row.
He is a good player for LSU, but even in the 3 SEC games he played in, LSU lost the games by a combined 36 points including an embarrassing home blowout loss to Miss St. where the game was over at halftime against a bad team that LSU was actually favored over. We also got destroyed against Texas Tech by 24 points with Thomas playing most of the game. He contributed double digit points in 3 of those games and we got blown out in 3 of the 4 games.
The only decent wins we have this year are against SMU and Mizzou. We were bad even with Thomas in the lineup against decent competition. Also, injuries are part of the game. If you have zero depth, you're no threat to accomplish anything of significance anyway.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:36 pm to JWill409
quote:
Also, the coach does not seem to get the team motivated enough to overcome their lack of star talent.
This is a false narrative, as bad as we are, we at least give 100% if you're watching the games.
How is it false? We have 2 SEC wins in 14 games. The only surprise SEC win was against Mizzou. That State blowout at home was embarrassing and looked like a team with zero motivation.
I'm not saying they don't play hard or that they don't like McMahon. I'm just saying that overall, I don't see a super-inspired bunch giving an effort so great that it makes you forget about their overall talent level. It's just not there. The proof is in the record. We had a few games that I thought we played above what I expected, but that is not the norm and we still lost .
We don't excel at anything and aren't clutch. We have no coaching or playing advantages.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:39 pm to Lucado
We don’t have shooters to space the floor. Our go-to play is a lackadaisical high ball screen followed by…nothing. Maybe an occasional shuffle cut. Some basic baseline action but very little action elsewhere. He seems to not value shooting and rebounding which is odd. On the flipside it’s so easy for opponents to hunt mismatches on defense when we switch. The whole thing screams low energy.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:43 pm to The Pirate King
quote:
So you are admitting that the program isn't properly funded to compete with the better teams in the SEC?
Ah, the "climate change" of excuses. It can never conclusively be proven, but it is a convenient catch all.
Do we think Texas A&M is spending as much as Kentucky on NIL...which is a (ridiculous) purported $22M? Because both teams have essentially the same record. Which is remarkable considering A&M's first year HC is doing it despite the insurmountable task of replacing the entire roster from the following year.
Or are we now saying the BS to justify keeping McMahon after his pathetic performance was just that, BS? Didn't he get a substantial bump in NIL funding? Or is it violate like a stock? Somehow if LSU were 20-7 (10-4) the estimated NIL budget for this team would be $10M. But since LSU is, again, one of the worst teams in the league, that number is somehow $10.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:43 pm to The Pirate King
quote:
Sounds like a roster funding problem to me. Pay up or enjoy a mediocre to bad team.
Last season’s excuse buddy.
You could give him a McBlank check and he’s gonna be the same coach. This just isn’t his level and the best thing for him would probably be to get canned, get the McBuyout and rebuild himself at his level: mid-major.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:43 pm to Lucado
Our recruiting classes
2022 6th in conference
2023 8th in conference
2024 6th in conference
2025 11th in conference
It’s nowhere near elite but it should be good enough to consistently make the tournament
2022 6th in conference
2023 8th in conference
2024 6th in conference
2025 11th in conference
It’s nowhere near elite but it should be good enough to consistently make the tournament
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:47 pm to whatiknowsofar
quote:
You can't lose your best players and do well
This has been the excuse every year. Maybe we should get a coach that isn’t so unlucky.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:52 pm to Lucado
I think its 2 problems
1. McMahon is not a fundraiser and he cant win without big time fundraising.
3. I think his style is less than optimized for the modern game. not enough paint touch 3s, transition 3s. modern game is about finding open 3s and using that threat to create space. Mcmahon seems to be more interested in creating offense in transition off turnovers and defensive rebounds but doesn't have the athletes to do it.
also I think he has pretty bad luck with injuries.
1. McMahon is not a fundraiser and he cant win without big time fundraising.
3. I think his style is less than optimized for the modern game. not enough paint touch 3s, transition 3s. modern game is about finding open 3s and using that threat to create space. Mcmahon seems to be more interested in creating offense in transition off turnovers and defensive rebounds but doesn't have the athletes to do it.
also I think he has pretty bad luck with injuries.
Posted on 2/25/26 at 4:58 pm to Big EZ Tiger
quote:
How is it false? We have 2 SEC wins in 14 games. The only surprise SEC win was against Mizzou. That State blowout at home was embarrassing and looked like a team with zero motivation.
I'm not saying they don't play hard or that they don't like McMahon. I'm just saying that overall, I don't see a super-inspired bunch giving an effort so great that it makes you forget about their overall talent level. It's just not there. The proof is in the record. We had a few games that I thought we played above what I expected, but that is not the norm and we still lost .
We don't excel at anything and aren't clutch. We have no coaching or playing advantages.
I just sent you the reasons why it's false. 2 wins has zero to do with being motivated, and even being motivated doesn't always end in a W. We've lost 6 SEC games by 7 or fewer points. Not having your 2 best players plays a major factor in not getting the wins. There has been moments of lack of motivation, but the same can be said with other teams(Wade and NC State losing by 30 last night). LSU has responded well this year compared to other years. So by you saying that, I'm not sure what games you're watching. We were down 18 last game and made a hell of a comeback and fell short. Guys are diving all on the floor and everything.
Have a little perspective.
This post was edited on 2/25/26 at 5:00 pm
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