Louisiana at James Madison

[Cajunsmike]

Mike, I am honestly not that familiar with our conference mates in terms of talent and personnel. After seeing this UL team now a few times, how do you think they will stack up in the SBC? Do you think we can finish top 3 or are we a year away?

IMO, if we are going to finish near the top, we are going to have to become a better rebounding team. I have not looked at most of the stats but we are not big and will need to rebound from 1-5 to have a shot.

I have not seen any other teams play but I have seen a few scores. The Ark. State win at Georgetown surprised me as we split with them last year in 2 close games. I thought they had the normal amount of folks coming back but they have played well so far. CajunT told me that he has seen UTA play and they deserve their pre season ranking as No. 1 in the league. Where we finish is something I cannot answer. I would guess in the top half but out of the top 2 or 3. Rebounding and youth would be my main concerns. Seeing Miller get some boards yesterday gives me a little encouragement we may hold our own there once conference play starts. The home games against Texas Southern, LA Tech and Pepperdine are what I would look at in trying to predict our conference outcome. Road game at Georgia also remains along with UNO and McNeese. Nicholls defeated Boston College so they won't be a slam dunk in the Dome opener on Thursday. I would be disappointed if we don't win at McNeese but it has been years since we have won there. UNO seems to be much improved. If we have some success in the remainder of non-conference, we may go into league play with some confidence which could get us off to a good start. However we start league play with a road trip to the Ark. schools. That is tough for anybody to manage. Stove needs to get out of his slump and the freshman need to progress rapidly for us to be able to make some noise in the league.

[Cajunsmike]

It is a mental block and having everyone around them tell them how difficult it is to do doesn't help, that's why I don't understand the mentality of our our head coach pounding away at that. If you tell the players over and over and over how hard it is to do something, they will believe it. Marlin appears to have heard some of the rumblings because the other night after Delaware state, that was the most I've heard him refuse to accept results since he has been here and that was after a win. If your coach takes the mindset of no excuses, your players won't make excuses. The court is the same size, the rim is the same size, the goal is the same height. I know people harp on it but there is proof of 2 men in the diamond sports who accept no excuse and look what their teams do. Those coaches put in their players minds that they will play you in the parking lot and beat you. I'm hearing a different Bob Marlin and I think it could make for a different team. Very seldom with everything go right, you gotta find a way to win anyway.

Maybe difficulty of road play has been harped on too much in the past. However I have been to some road games (under several coaches) and it is a totally different mind set you have to overcome. You have to be mentally tough to overcome those challenges and perhaps this bunch has that. It was encouraging to hear Coach Marlin say in yesterday's post game that the players were disappointed they did not finish the game strongly. Considering the game was well in hand, I think hearing they had that approach is a good sign going forward.

[VObserver]

Good teams win on the road. Bad coaches talk about how hard it is to win away from home.

[Cajunsmike]

Good teams win on the road. Bad coaches talk about how hard it is to win away from home.

Most coaches are poor then as virtually all of them make that comment at one time or another. As i said earlier, i expect that will not be our last non conference road win

[CajunEXPRESS]

Mike it's just not good for coaches to talk about challenges. Just like Hud with turnovers.

[Cajunsmike]

Mike it's just not good for coaches to talk about challenges. Just like Hud with turnovers.

Dean Smith thought it was OK to speak about the challenge of playing on the road. He did so in a book I read Called "The Carolina Way"

[CajunEXPRESS]

Dean Smith thought it was OK to speak about the challenge of playing on the road. He did so in a book I read Called "The Carolina Way"

You get to do lots of things when you're a hall of fame coach. For Marlin it's sounding like alibi.

[Hark Mudspeth]

Dean Smith thought it was OK to speak about the challenge of playing on the road. He did so in a book I read Called "The Carolina Way"

Huge difference between talking difficulty and challenged than telling your players over and over they can't do something.

[Turbine]

It's real.

[Cajunsmike]

Huge difference between talking difficulty and challenged than telling your players over and over they can't do something.

I have never heard him tell his players they cannot win any game, home or away. He has mentioned they are going to a tough place and a challenge awaits prior to several road games. I probably have mentioned it more than anyone else as they seem to play differently at home and on the road. I watch most road games online and they generally play with less confidence away from home. That is mental to me. However, in the two road games I have watched this year things seem a little different. They did not get discouraged at Montana State and only a very questionable foul prevented a win there while they dominated at James Madison on Wed. afternoon. Whatever has happened in the past should not effect this team. They very well could be more successful this year away from home than they have been in the past. If so, having better ball handlers could be the reason why. We don't have to rely just on Jay Wright to have the ball any longer and we all know he is over aggressive at times. Bartley is a good ball handler and I have been pleasantly surprised at how well Hardy is taking care of it as well. Let's give these guys a chance to show what they can do both home and away.

[Hark Mudspeth]

I have never heard him tell his players they cannot win any game, home or away. He has mentioned they are going to a tough place and a challenge awaits prior to several road games. I probably have mentioned it more than anyone else as they seem to play differently at home and on the road. I watch most road games online and they generally play with less confidence away from home. That is mental to me. However, in the two road games I have watched this year things seem a little different. They did not get discouraged at Montana State and only a very questionable foul prevented a win there while they dominated at James Madison on Wed. afternoon. Whatever has happened in the past should not effect this team. They very well could be more successful this year away from home than they have been in the past. If so, having better ball handlers could be the reason why. We don't have to rely just on Jay Wright to have the ball any longer and we all know he is over aggressive at times. Bartley is a good ball handler and I have been pleasantly surprised at how well Hardy is taking care of it as well. Let's give these guys a chance to show what they can do both home and away.

Who isn't giving them a chance? Winning on the road is tough and mental, and having a coach who harps on it makes it tougher mentally.

[ManAboutTown]

A lot of people that I respect buy into the narrative, and maybe there is something to it, but I just can't. How is winning on the road any harder than any other sport? Baseball for instance, I could buy into, because you literally are at a disadvantage by not getting last bat. That has tangible merit. Unless basketball refs are known to be bias for teams at home and that's a dirty little secret in NCAA basketball, I just do not buy the winning on the road is near impossible stuff..