Britgirl

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When is Collins supposed to return?

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Team doctor says it doesn’t look
good but having an MRI on shoulder on Monday.

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Maybe the guys want to play and aren’t concerned with your embarrassment over this.

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Love this answer :bow: :cheers:

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I don't know if I'd throw Tom Crean out there as the spokesperson for playing.

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I’d take his opinion over many TD posters. He, at the very least, has a huge amount of experience and insight into how players think/feel.

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No different than football players opting out of non-playoff bowl games.

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But aren’t those the players who expect to be drafted and want to stay healthy?
Doubtful anyone in our current squad is NBA bound this year.

I was really happy when Will decided to take his team to the NIT, he understood the importance of it. And I’m happy that Matt thinks the same way.

The year that Johnny decided not to go to the NIT (because Ben Simmons didn’t want to go) really pissed me off, and I talked to players who were extremely disappointed that they weren’t going to play. I felt really sad for them. Seniors with no chance at the NBA just wanted to keep playing, others who hoped to be in the NBA in future wanted playoff experience.
Those reasons will also apply to the current team, plus it’s a
chance to “redeem themselves” after getting bounced from the SEC after one game. Another chance to play for LSU.

And we’d like another chance to watch them play!

:geauxtigers:

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Woooo we in the not good enough tournament cause a team that has a better basketball program doesn’t want to be in

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“Better” basketball programs DO want to be in the NIT, though.

Even Calipari era Kentucky wanted to play in the NIT when they didn’t make the NCAAT.

They went In the 2008/9 season with future NBA talent Patrick Patterson, DeAndre Liggins and Jodie Meeks, Kentucky didn’t turn down that invite.

And who can forget the 2012/13 season team that lost in the first round to Robert Morris, even when that team had future NBA players Nerlens Noel, Willie Cauley-Stein, Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress.

But I guess, according to your way of thinking, Kentucky isn’t a better basketball program.
Maybe you’d like to tell that to Wildcats fans?

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Try playing Fountain and Reed together some, especially against more athletic teams. You don't really lose much rebounding or defense because neither Dean nor Baker are very proficient at either and you get more defensive versatility, especially on high ball screens that teams run at Baker and Dean all the time for obvious reasons if you watch.

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Agree 100%. (Although Jalen has played with his head up his butt at times lately).
I’d even like to see Tyrell out there with Derek and Jalen for a few minutes every now and then. I know that coach feels he needs one of his 7 footers out there when the opposition has big bodies. However, IMO, a couple of inches of extra height alone is not better than a few inches shorter but with athleticism, quickness and toughness.

Hope so. Vandy is a difficult place to play due to its weird court set up and Jordan is the only current LSU player that’s ever played there. He needs to lead the way.

:geauxtigers:

Cook won’t be playing.

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The first row of the PMAC is separated from the court by two rows of press tables and a walkway. Even the baseline student section is 30 feet from the court with nazi marshals galore.

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This is so true. The PMAC configuration just doesn’t lend itself to a feeling of immense fan presence.
People have mentioned Auburn as a comparison- I’ve been to 3 away games at Auburn in the past 6 years, and regardless of how well their team is doing, it is always LOUD, very loud. The Auburn arena has seating near edge of court and it slopes up at a steep angle giving the feeling of fans very close, almost on top of the court. I’m not sure how to describe it, but I guess more “intimate”. It’s a smaller arena and everyone is packed in. They also have a standing room area around the arena behind the top seats. Acoustically, it’s just configured to be louder.
By contrast, the PMAC very gradually slopes away, the shape of it is almost cavernous. A spectator feels further away from the action, so is less pulled into it. The players feel the difference.

They also do things differently as far as running a game goes, and it definitely impacts Auburn’s fan involvement in games:
1. Their announcer is loud and energetic, he will start crowd chants etc. We have……Dan Borne.
2. They have prominent crowd song/chant/actions traditions and most people participate.
3. Their cheerleaders are not really as much “entertainers on the court”, but are more directly interactive with the crowd, much closer than our cheerleaders, who seem too far away on the court.
4. Their band doesn’t play as often as ours does. They have loud upbeat music as well and it seems to encourage crowd engagement and momentum.
5. The crowd keeps up the noise level and engagement during time outs, because they don’t have their band playing or cheerleaders “performing” as often. By contrast, our spectators go quiet during timeouts. Even if there’s been exciting play with the crowd getting into it, it stops during timeouts. Loses momentum and it often takes an exciting play to get everyone going again. Stop and start.
I sometimes think that perhaps our band conductor could notice if the crowd is roaring and cheering when game stops for timeouts and not interrupt their yelling by starting to play, thus silencing the crowd???
They just do things differently at Auburn. I think it’s all about the kind of fan experience a university and fans want. We have a fabulous band and maybe everyone would rather listen to them in timeouts?

I was at the game last night and it was a noisy atmosphere a lot of the time. Everyone around my seating area was on their feet for a good part of the second half. I don’t think crowd noise always comes across in LSU games on TV - the broadcasters are close to the action and fans are quite far behind them.

And, I will point out, that some of the people who are criticising lack of crowd noise on TV, should actually come to games and contribute to the noise, if they are able to.

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I don't think it would have mattered and would have been fairer to the "student athletes" that they claim to care about.

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There are many people on this board criticising all our scholarship players for going to the transfer portal.
Ever thought that one of the main reasons for them going is exactly this?
It was made very clear to them that they didn’t matter at all.
What they’d worked for all season was completely disvalued by admin.
Why would they stay in those circumstances, when the coach they loved was gone? They’d feel no one had their backs, that they were nothing.
Asking kids to be “loyal” to LSU after that? Ridiculous.

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Remember they were allegations. And one pertaining to VCU. LSU could have simply issued a statement that we are in receipt of the NOA and will comment on it after the NCAA tournament. Simple.

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Memphis did just that, and they participated in the NCAA tournament. The players are aware of this, too.

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If Gaines could learn to play with some control/discipline the sure.

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Apparently, according to a very reliable source, Gaines was already leaving before WW was fired. Whether or not he’ll change his mind now we have a new coach, who knows.
I don’t think it was due to WW. Gaines was very disengaged at the end of the season, despite WW having his back throughout.

I’m hoping Taz gets to stay, he’ll be invaluable to a coach with no LA ties or experience, and he relates really well to the young players.