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The real reason LSU Basketball is so problematic...

Posted on 3/7/23 at 2:49 pm
Posted by macaoidh
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2009
2922 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 2:49 pm
...is culture.

You have a culture of failure around that program and it ultimately eats up every coach who comes in. You have some old regulars who believe they own LSU hoops, including a couple who are now on the LSU Board of Supervisors, and eventually every coach runs afoul of them and gets eaten.

The only way to fix it is to hire somebody who's so big a personality and brand that he just blows those old regulars out of the water.

Will Wade was close. He never got along with those people and eventually he decided recruiting in Louisiana wasn't even worth it anymore. But Wade's NCAA problems, which now look overblown considering how the landscape has changed, held back his political capital and eventually the old regulars ate him up as well.

You had this problem with football until Saban came along. Saban was that force of nature who eliminated the bad culture and installed a good culture.

You see Mulkey doing it on the women's side. You've had good culture for going on 40 years in baseball. In men's basketball your culture is poison and the current coach is clearly not strong enough to fix it.

His replacement is going to have to be a bring-down-the-house hire. You can't fix this with a hot young mid-major hire. You have hire somebody people don't think is even gettable. Otherwise the best you can hope for is somebody who can get us into the tournament here and there before he gets fired too.
Posted by Double Down
Mayor of St. George
Member since Dec 2007
6494 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 2:54 pm to
Wade cheated and got caught. Get over it.
Posted by nitwit
Member since Oct 2007
12234 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 2:58 pm to
Saban was not larger than life when first hired.
In fact, he was just an "up and comer" from middle of the pack Big 10- Mich. St.
And he didn't start from the ground floor with talent or with NCAA sanctions looming.
LSU had talent and had always drawn well from a talent rich base, just not consistently.
La. has basketball talent but LSU has not built walls around the state, nor has it dominated La. basketball recruiting, like it has football.
Posted by Choupique19
The cheap seats
Member since Sep 2005
61813 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:01 pm to
quote:

with NCAA sanctions looming.


Link?
Posted by Bottom9
Arsenal Til I Die
Member since Jul 2010
21737 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:06 pm to
quote:

Wade cheated and got caught. Get over it.



Yeah, I prefer cheaters like McMahon and Johnny Jones who go 2-16 in the SEC
Posted by macaoidh
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2009
2922 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:08 pm to
quote:

Wade cheated and got caught. Get over it.


Now do Bill Self.

Posted by Harry Morgan
Member since Sep 2019
9193 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:09 pm to
quote:

Wade cheated and got caught. Get over it.

Yep.
Posted by More beer please
Member since Feb 2010
45050 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:10 pm to
quote:

with NCAA sanctions looming.


what sanctions
Posted by macaoidh
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2009
2922 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:11 pm to
quote:

Saban was not larger than life when first hired.
In fact, he was just an "up and comer" from middle of the pack Big 10- Mich. St.
And he didn't start from the ground floor with talent or with NCAA sanctions looming.
LSU had talent and had always drawn well from a talent rich base, just not consistently.
La. has basketball talent but LSU has not built walls around the state, nor has it dominated La. basketball recruiting, like it has football.



You're clearly not familiar with what Saban did when he got here and how he dealt with all the people - boosters, politicos, board members - who hung around the program.

Those people attempted to educate him on how things were done here and they got read the riot act. Inside of a week there was no doubt who was in charge of the program.

We're not talking about his resume when he got here. We're talking about his leadership and his presence.
Posted by T
Member since Jan 2004
9889 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:13 pm to
"Everybody talks about culture, Culture is a bunch of BS. Just win.”

“Look, I think it is different. You can't build a program anymore. You have to build a team. That is just the way it is with the portal and all that stuff. You are trying to build a program? The kids are going to transfer before you get any good. Every situation is unique, every job is unique and you have to figure out how you can win at that place. Whatever it may be."

Will Wade 1/30/23


Your post is getting upvotes, but once people on here see this quote they won't know what to do.

Posted by Rickdaddy4188
Murfreesboro,TN
Member since Aug 2011
46625 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:15 pm to
quote:

saban was not larger than life when first hired.
In fact, he was just an "up and comer" from middle of the pack Big 10- Mich. St.
And he didn't start from the ground floor with talent or with NCAA sanctions looming.


Saban literally only took the lsu job when they guaranteed to upgrade the lsu program how he saw fit. Saban came in and put his foot down.
This post was edited on 3/8/23 at 12:39 am
Posted by MrWalkingMan
31st Parallel North
Member since Aug 2010
6333 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:20 pm to
quote:

Your post is getting upvotes, but once people on here see this quote they won't know what to do.


Take this upvote, T. A “culture of failure” around a program is emblematic of nothing more than how much an administration cares to support it
Posted by nicholastiger
Member since Jan 2004
42505 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:24 pm to
Get temple off board and wait for dale to pass away
Posted by Cshaw91
Member since Mar 2019
2307 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:24 pm to
And how the hell do you think JJ got Ben Simmons? At least Wade made the tourney when he “cheated”
Posted by Madking
Member since Apr 2016
47857 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:31 pm to
The reason losing culture surrounds the program is because there’s zero investment in the program. You don’t spend any money so you don’t attract coaches or players.
Posted by Madking
Member since Apr 2016
47857 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 3:33 pm to
Martin and Quarterman were both on one of Dawkins “pay sheets” but the ignorant fans either don’t know about it or more likely ignore it so they can keep blaming Wade.
Posted by S
RIP Wayde
Member since Jan 2007
155574 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 4:03 pm to
quote:

Saban was not larger than life when first hired.


He wasn’t larger than life but he was a very good hire on paper and had previously had NFL teams sniffing around.
Posted by S
RIP Wayde
Member since Jan 2007
155574 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 4:07 pm to
OP is right about the certain figures in the background who think they “are” LSU Basketball

Additionally, if you can’t get that big name (which is gonna be tough. Pitino is 100 and headed for St. John’s, Billy D aint coming here if he leaves the bulls) you need charisma. Brown and Wade obviously had that. Brady had his moments. TJ and JJ did not. MM does not. Someone who will go to the ends of the earth to sell and promote the program. Energy that translates to the court. You’re more likely to land that guy as we did with Wade.
Posted by barry
Location, Location, Location
Member since Aug 2006
50341 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 4:10 pm to
quote:

But Wade's NCAA problems, which now look overblown considering how the landscape has changed,


Once again, for the 1000th time, what he did would get slapped with the same sanctions now.
Posted by MOT
Member since Jul 2006
27823 posts
Posted on 3/7/23 at 4:16 pm to
quote:

Once again, for the 1000th time, what he did would get slapped with the same sanctions now.
Everyone knows that. The op’s point is he wouldn’t have to do it since pay for play is so easily hidden under the mask of NIL.
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