LA vs WKU

[CrazyCajun]

Not IMO, they both played most of the current season, so Long has three years of practice, and the bulk of two seasons playing. He made all conference as a red shirt freshman last year. EP a similar thing, and played for the USA, he has plenty of game time experience.

We are not young in those two positions by any reasonable understanding of 'young' in college sports.

Bryant,Moore and lazarre are seniors, davenport, brown and Rimmer are juniors. We aren't young. Some will go to the end of the earth to defend this coach.

Gary has 1 junior and the rest are freshman and sophomores. That's young, look what he is doing in year 2 with a traditionally horrible program outside of a couple years.

[Just1More]

Not IMO, they both played most of the current season, so Long has three years of practice, and the bulk of two seasons playing. He made all conference as a red shirt freshman last year. EP a similar thing, and played for the USA, he has plenty of game time experience.

We are not young in those two positions by any reasonable understanding of 'young' in college sports.

Both of them "play young" and probably always will as Cajuns. Neither one acts like an "elder player". Neither one gets in the grill of his own team mates and uses body language, much less verbal, to get "the young" to follow. They are both excellent role players. I'm not sure if it's a deficiency in Marlin or not, but he still makes me think of a dad that gave the keys to the old truck to his sons, but never allowed them to feel like they could take it out in the country and tear ____ up... without feeling like he was watching and criticizing.

Marlin is a good/great Xs and Os teacher, as I observe it. He needs to give one or two players the rights to be a badass when a game shift is needed. I felt like WKU played controlled basketball, but they are allowed to have attitude on the floor... with each other. I don't see an easy launch of attitude by our players with Marlin in the room. He needs to ease up on that front, and allow some alpha males, other than himself, be an alpha with the ball.

IMO... Marlin will always have a "young team".

[Turbine]

Bryant,Moore and lazarre are seniors, davenport, brown and Rimmer are juniors. We aren't young. Some will go to the end of the earth to defend this coach.

Gary has 1 junior and the rest are freshman and sophomores. That's young, look what he is doing in year 2 with a traditionally horrible program outside of a couple years.

Oh! He was attacking the coach? I didn't pick up on that.

I thought Express was saying Long and Payton were not young.

He is right experience wise, they have 4 years between them.

[Just1More]

Bryant,Moore and lazarre are seniors, davenport, brown and Rimmer are juniors. We aren't young. Some will go to the end of the earth to defend this coach.

Gary has 1 junior and the rest are freshman and sophomores. That's young, look what he is doing in year 2 with a traditionally horrible program outside of a couple years.

But they always say, "girls mature faster than boys"!

[Cajunsmike]

Not IMO, they both played most of the current season, so Long has three years of practice, and the bulk of two seasons playing. He made all conference as a red shirt freshman last year. EP a similar thing, and played for the USA, he has plenty of game time experience.

We are not young in those two positions by any reasonable understanding of 'young' in college sports.

I don't think youth is our problem. Lack of an athletic inside player to play alongside Long is our major issue. Health has been an issue for us this year as well. If Shepherd is out for the year, that will be another blow.

[CrazyCajun]

Oh! He was attacking the coach? I didn't pick up on that.

I thought Express was saying Long and Payton were not young.

He is right experience wise, they have 4 years between them.

Can't figure out what you view is but they aren't young... Payton is halfway thru his junior year, played a lot as a freshman and traveled with team usa. Long is a redshirt sophomore who has started since day 1 of eligibility. The majority of their supporting cast are juniors and seniors. They and we are not young.

[Cajunsmike]

In Marlin's first year, LaRyan Gary was the leader of the team. I wish we had someone like him. I don't think the coach is stopping anyone from stepping into that role. I don't think we have anyone with the personality to be a verbal leader. Bryant Mbamalu is one who could have that role but his health is impacting his performance on the court which minimizes his ability to get on others. With the injury he had, he will not be 100% anytime this season.

[Just1More]

I don't think youth is our problem. Lack of an athletic inside player to play alongside Long is our major issue. Health has been an issue for us this year as well. If Shepherd is out for the year, that will be another blow.

You are right on all accounts. And it would be a great assist to the team if that added athlete that can help inside helped generate some alpha attitude when needed. I think the "youth" comment validity is in the passive nature of both Long and Payton. The mental side of the game requires some "getting into the head" of the other team. Marlin can't be the only guy on the Cajun team that has an alpha attitude. It's my 30,000 foot view of Marlin and this team... but it just "looks like" Marlin is the only "man" with a set jaw. He needs to allow a player or two emerge as "on the floor alphas" IMO.

[Just1More]

In Marlin's first year, LaRyan Gary was the leader of the team. I wish we had someone like him. I don't think the coach is stopping anyone from stepping into that role. I don't think we have anyone with the personality to be a verbal leader. Bryant Mbamalu is one who could have that role but his health is impacting his performance on the court which minimizes his ability to get on others. With the injury he had, he will not be 100% anytime this season.

Good point.

[CrazyCajun]

Gary was a leader on the bench with a broken leg. Leaders lead all the time, not just when they get to play.