re: Jalen Cook is currently suspended.

We aren’t making the tourney anyway.

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ETA: 70 people dont understand sarcasm

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And one person doesn’t understand that sarcasm doesn’t translate well across a text platform.

Your statement is 100% false

Jalen Cook
-0 starts in 20 appearances under Wade
-Started 9 of 13 games for McMahon

-7.5 minutes per game under Wade
-27.5 minutes per game under McMahon

I've known Jalen since he was a kid. With that said, not sure what is going on with this but I truly believe he should have went the football route. Amazing athlete

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Pretty much assumed you were talking about Mwani but I couldn't figure out why.

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my bad lol. was in a group text talking about the possibility of him transferring to mcneese then swapped over to td without thinking and made the post. at first i was so confused as to why i had so many downvotes

he's my favorite player on the team, but i think i would like him to transfer. i've been told by some people closer to the team that he's going to be doing senior night but is also open to playing a 5th year. to me that implies he's going to be playing elsewhere next year. i would like to see him reunite with wade at mcneese and get some serious PT

Mwani is one of my favorites as well.

However I do think he has some daylight at LSU next year. As it is we will be using a slot for a center in the portal. If Cook leaves (yes, more and more likely) we will have to use that slot on a veteran point guard. That means that we can't replace Wright from the portal or hs ranks. Pretty much leaves Ward and Mwani as the only players who can play the 2 and 3. Mike Williams will play the 2 a lot but Mwani gives us flexibility as well as another 3 point shooter.

ETA: If Mwani moves on I think he could do a lot better than McNeese for playing time. Perhaps even Vandy or Arkansas.

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Hannibal playing under control

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I just wish Hannibal had Cook's skill on the dribble. Cook's dumb turnovers were generally ill-advised passes, Hannibal's were often dribbling off his thigh, shin, or foot. I will say that those have just about disappeared of late for Hannibal.

Cook's shooting and driving ability also present more offensive opportunities for the team because it disrupts the opposing defense a bit.

Trae adds an active rebounding presence, though. I think the net for an engaged Cook is still higher but the Cook we saw in most of his later games did not seem engaged with the team and was often as much a liability as an asset. So I think he lost his starting role to Hannibal and probably was being childish about that.

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He is landlocked as far as transferring to a Division 1 school unless he is a graduate transfer.

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Doubtful. The ruling in the West Virginia essentially signaled the NCAA's rule restricting multiple time transfers without a waiver would not hold up in court. That's why they largely abandoned the fight after the TRO was entered and announced the rule would not be enforced for the remainder of the season. Cook (and others in his situation as multiple time transfers) should be very confident they will be eligible next season.

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Cook is clearly a talented player, probably better suited to play shooting guard or at least in an offense where he does not have to be the primary playmaker. Hopefully he can reflect on and accept what the team has accomplished without him and realize how much better they could be with him accepting a different role and especially operating within the concept of the offense,

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As frustrating as it might have seemed at times, the offense was actually much more efficient with Cook. The efficiency ratings had been steadily getting worse (until the game vs Vanderbilt) with him out. Now, that's not to say LSU was a better team, overall, with him starting/playing significant minutes because he wasn't matching's Hannibal's defensive and rebounding efforts. Basketball, by nature, is an "offensive" game with the amount of scoring relative to other sports. So people focus on that area most. But the best teams ALL defend. That's where Cook was struggling most. And it is on that end of the floor LSU has been able to hang in games as of late even when their offense has been prone to lulls.

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his option are to transfer to a lower level or pursue overseas pro opportunities.

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None of us fully know what led to the suspension. But I suspect there will be a marketplace for him at the major conf. level. Maybe not as much as there was going into last season. But not zero.

It is possible for both scenarios to exist at the same time. I'm just telling you what someone who knows the family and has worked with the players is saying.