I'm not saying coaches and players and fans didn't want to win, but there is a huge difference between wanting/hoping to win and an institutional focus on the same. In view of that it seems to me the attempted connect using the success of Petit and Marivich to an LSU focus on basketball does not fit.
It would be like saying the UL administration was focused on football when Cagle, Dark, Mitchell, and Delhomme played here. Being fortunate to have certain players who bring success does not truly mean the school was focused.
Petit and Marivich were good fortune/gifts for LSU, Petit the local boy, Pete the coach’s son. The real focus on winning in basketball came later, coincidentally not long after UL visited the top 10.
Having said that I find nothing wrong with LSU focusing on what they did, when they did. The timeline of focus however is undeniable, not that there's anything wrong with that.![]()