If you finish in the top 4, you only have to win three in the tournament. It is correct that the teams who do well in the tournament are generally playing well going into the tournament. Winning the regular season title does guarantee you an NIT appearance. Therefore there is benefit to the regular season. You could get beat in any game including the tournament if your opponent goes crazy from the 3. That is any game in college basketball these days. That is why it is somewhat unfair to make a judgment based upon any one game. We must continue to improve to make a run at the title. Hopefully the bench starts providing a little more scoring than today. Charles did help us defensively as usual. Folks who noticed the free throw problem today being related to the travel are on to something. Shots were short quite often which is indicative of tired legs. Coming home does not necessarily guarantee a victory. Plenty of teams lose at home after a successful road trip because they don’t prepare properly. Coach Marlin said that in his radio interview. This group is unlikely to lose focus but you never know until they tip off. Also, Coach Marlin has no plans to retire voluntarily. He plans on being here next season. The ongoing recruiting is evidence of that. The administration may let him go however. I doubt they do that if he wins either the regular season or tournament title.
Jim Hatfield coached Andrew Toney when that last happened. Beryl Shipley was the coach the other time it happened. I think the Cajuns are better than all 4 teams we played on the trip. However, the weariness of the travel usually gets you at some point. Credit to the team and their coaches for keeping their focus throughout.
Thanks Mike for all of the level headed and very much informative analysis. As for the Big Fish returning, I don’t ever remember 10 posters on a message board ever being able to fire a coach. On the other hand, at some point if he is not able to recover with some modicum of attendance improvement, that could be a problem.
Since we have such a horrid basketball faculty, why should poor attendance be blamed on the coach . . . hell, look at the attendance for football after the success of the previous three years.
May these kids who play with Louisiana across their chest and their coaching staff continue to have the success they have enjoyed this season . . . Sweet 16 bound here we come . . . maybe if it is said often enough . . . may it happen . . .
. . . when it is time for The Big Fish to end his career as the HC at Louisiana . . . whenever and however that happens . . . BBoyd for head basketball coach at Louisiana . . . we know he will be available . . .
GEAUX CAJUNS BASKETBALL . . . GEAUX CAJUNS SOFTBALL . . . AND FOR MY FAVORITE, GEAUX CAJUNS BASEBALL
Maybe UL is using the Fighting Irish model…https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Brey
A divisional championship in his first year. Benefited a several times with an at large/NIT due to their conference.
But ONE divisional championship over 2 decades ago.
The four game road trip UL just pulled off was darn impressive. Need to rest up, Troy will not be easy. Congratulations to the players and staff.
Zero chance Coach Marlin is shown the door if he wins either the Regular Season or Tournament Championship.
Maybe he'll opt to retire (sounds doubtful), but I can't imagine any Sunbelt AD pushing their head basketball coach out the door after an NCAA Tournament at this point, certainly not when it's the programs first appearance in nine years.
I think the GA State model is the way to success. Show an ability to finish at or near the top of the conference (regular season) consistently and you wind up with more NCAA tournament appearances. Contrast that with the Cajuns who I believe (Mike can correct if I'm wrong) have finished in the top 3 of the conference just twice in the last 12 years. Last year's team had WAY too much talent to lose to Jackson State at home and finish 8th in the league. This year's team seems to be dialed in in a way that last year's squad simply wasn't. We shall see if that pays dividends for them.
Ah. I see the confusion. I meant "no it isn't" as in that isn't the mentality for every team in the league. Not "no it isn't" in regards to this being a one bid league. It is.
A team can catch fire sure. 2014 Cajuns. That isn't the mode of success that should be relied on though for a long-term healthy program. We have the results of that method: 1 bid in 12 years. Whereas the Panthers who finish near the top at a much higher rate have 4 bids in that same time span. Also that 2014 team that caught fire is I believe our only top 3 finish outside of the #1 team in 2017-2018.
Winning the regular season doesn't mean squat! We have to win the SBC tourney to make it to the dance. No way in hell would we get an at large bid and if this team doesn't make the NCAA tourney, he needs to go.period. One tourney appearance in 13-14 years is hardly acceptable.
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