MBB G2 Final: Louisiana 65, Tennessee 87

[HoustonCajun]

I don't know what team you've been watching. We were 14th in the nation in assists last year. We generally move the ball damn well.

Playing the #6 team in the nation tends to make it tougher to pass the ball around.

Against inferior competition. Why is it when we play good teams we resort to isolation basketball? We abandon team play and movement. We play a pitiful pro game with driving for a layup or kicking it out. Everybody stands around on the perimeter and you have to hope someone makes their shot. When they don't, what happened with Tennessee happens over and over again. No one in position to rebound and we quickly get down by 20 and can't recover. Personally, I hate this type of basketball. Tennessee played beautiful basketball and schooled us last night. This happens every time we play a good team, especially one that has height and length, yet we keep forcing drives and have no movement. Looks like Marlin will live and die with this type of game, and so will we as fans.

[facelessjonmoon]

If you remember days when the dome was packed and loud, chances are you were at an IceGator game.

WKU games come to mind

Never 12k packed but 6-8k on the reg. 10k once or twice

light years better than the b-ball crowds we have been getting the last several years

[ZoomZoom]

LOL. They are still Kentucky with some of the best players in the country. They aren't playing well but will probably round into shape come late in the season. Fact is we wouldn't go in there and even compete with them which is what you are avoiding. You remember Ole Miss last year?

Not avoiding a single thing. Read post #60 again.

[UL_Cajuns]

Speaking of crowds.
I remember in 2002-2003 season we had a game against WKU on espn2 that we lost 69-66 and had 9121 fans in the stands. That is the most fans I have ever witnessed in the dome for a basketball game.
UL gave away free boiled crawfish for the students before the game. Students came out in droves.

maybe we should try free boiled crawfish for the students. That will bring them in.

We beat Houston, Charlotte, and #12 MS State on the road that year.
It was a fun year with a packed Cajundome all year. It did not end that well though.
We ended up finishing with a 3 game losing streak with the WKU loss, Denver loss in SBC Tourney, and then a loss at UAB in NIT.

[CajunRebel]

Against inferior competition. Why is it when we play good teams we resort to isolation basketball? We abandon team play and movement. We play a pitiful pro game with driving for a layup or kicking it out. Everybody stands around on the perimeter and you have to hope someone makes their shot. When they don't, what happened with Tennessee happens over and over again. No one in position to rebound and we quickly get down by 20 and can't recover. Personally, I hate this type of basketball. Tennessee played beautiful basketball and schooled us last night. This happens every time we play a good team, especially one that has height and length, yet we keep forcing drives and have no movement. Looks like Marlin will live and die with this type of game, and so will we as fans.

It’s not that we resort to iso basketball. It’s that good teams can shut down our movement.

[Balanced_view]

It's not that we resort to iso basketball. It's that good teams can shut down our movement.

i dont feel we did a lot of iso basketball last night. our offensive scheme was fine. the players missed a lot of open shots, that would have made the ball movement look a lot better if those same shot went in. also made some bad decisions on passes that resulted in turnovers, again not the scheme, players decisions with pressure around them is the issue there.

[Cajunsmike]

When was the last time we beat a top 10 team?

Probably in the Marty Fletcher years when we beat Oklahoma in the 1992 NCAA's. I don't know if they were in the Top 10 at that time. His teams also beat Oklahoma in Norman, Cincinnatti, Kentucky and Memphis. I don't know if any of those games occurred however when the opponent was in the Top 10. I do know that Georgetown was ranked 2nd in the nation when we beat them in the first round of the Great Alaskan Shootout on the Friday in November of 1981. That may be the last time we defeated a team ranked in the Top 10.

[Cajunsmike]

Jessie's teams could indeed compete. ANd had off court issues and other "issues". But they would handle any Marlin team any day. I'm not expecting to win this game against a potential sweet sixteen school. Just show up better after 8 years ..

Last year's team (when healthy) would have competed well with some of Jessie's teams. His stronger teams had lots of talent but he had teams that underachieved as well. The 1999 team had a losing record for example. Now, I will say that I thought Jessie was a better X and O coach than many give him credit for.

[Cajunsmike]

I just want a top 50 win wait..... top 100

If we can't compete with the top just drop coach's salary to 100 k maybe buy a few good games with the extra 400k and enjoy basketball get lucky every 10 years make the dance get slammed the first round rinse repeat.

I know that is your opinion. However, I think you also know there is no way that will EVER happen as the coach was just given an extension.

[Cajunsmike]

When I look at matchups like this I try to find players for UL who would start for the other team. If we have a couple, I figure we have a reasonable chance of winning. In the case of Tennessee and Kansas none of our players would start for them. It is more likely that only Gant would be given a scholarship. We will not win these games with the current talent we have. That said, we have top tier SBC talent. Winning the league and going to the NCAA tournament are attainable goals.

They are not playing this year but Kobe Julien and Jalen Johnson could get scholarships at bigger schools. He was inconsistent last night but Stroman started some games at South Carolina so I think he could get a scholarship at Tennessee in some years, maybe not this one. I agree that Gant could get one and likely would be one of their top bench guys. I get your point. When you compare talent to talent, a 22 point margin is about what you expect. We need guys with more length to compete with a team like Tennessee.

[Cajunsmike]

Against inferior competition. Why is it when we play good teams we resort to isolation basketball? We abandon team play and movement. We play a pitiful pro game with driving for a layup or kicking it out. Everybody stands around on the perimeter and you have to hope someone makes their shot. When they don't, what happened with Tennessee happens over and over again. No one in position to rebound and we quickly get down by 20 and can't recover. Personally, I hate this type of basketball. Tennessee played beautiful basketball and schooled us last night. This happens every time we play a good team, especially one that has height and length, yet we keep forcing drives and have no movement. Looks like Marlin will live and die with this type of game, and so will we as fans.

Coach believes in NBA analytics. Numbers say if you can't get a shot at the rim, you are better off percentage wise to take the three. More and more coaches are buying into this philosophy They will take some mid range shots when that is wide open but that is not what they look for. Against a team like Tennessee, I think we should take more of those.

[cajun_lannister]

I know that is your opinion. However, I think you also know there is no way that will EVER happen as the coach was just given an extension.

What a top 100 win ?