MBB Final: Louisiana 68, ODU 60

[CajunSID]

A couple of things, I agree it did not look like 5K +, that is some over reporting there. I also watch the Troy v Arkansas State game and I don't know what the announced attendance was but for a team that was in first place in the conference, the attendance was atrocious. I don't believe there were close to 2K in Troy last night.

Secondly, I can wrap up what is wrong with UL basketball team in 1 word, physicality. Let me preface this by saying, I really like this team and think we have some really good pieces, but we have been blown out in only 2 games all year, we have had a chance to win 24 of the 26 games we have played, but in 7 of those losses we were physically outplayed in the latter half of the 2nd half because of our lack of strength.

If you look at the 9 rotational players that have gotten any significant playing time that are still on the team (Blake Butler does not count) we are not a physically gifted team. Let's look at the starting 5. Themus has a fairly muscular build for a PG, but he is still a smallish PG by D1 standards, Kentrell is a great shooter and solid on defense but undersized at the 2, I love Kobe and he is, arguably the best player on the team, but I would not consider him strong, Carencro Joe is one of my favorite all time players for the Cajuns, but he is a rail and Kitenge, while physically large, is not what I would consider strong, by any stretch and while his physical build is much better that what I expected when I heard he was coming to us, he is still not a prototypical big man. Then look at our bench rotation, Mike Thomas is playing incredible basketball right now, but he is a very small PG off the bench, Kyren Ratliff is a strong big kid, but still a freshman and still figuring it out, but even he is not what I would consider "strong", London Fields is undersized physically and the only guy on the team that is a physically "strong" athlete is Brandon Hardy.

I look at allot of the teams we have played and even beaten, like Arkansas State, USA, Bowling Green and some we have lost to, like Georgia State, Troy and others and you can see the physicality in them. I think when it comes to late in games, we are out muscled by other teams, and they wear us down and that is the difference. Even in games we have won where we have been up by double digits and end up winning by 7 or 8, you can see where other teams just out physical us.

The strength of this team is their ability to shoot and defend the perimeter, but most teams late in games have the ability to just lean on us until we are worn out.

Just my .02.

This might be the best analysis I’ve read on this board in a while. Well done and thank you. Nice to see.

Only thing I’ll add is I believe this is the best on-floor coaching Marlin and his staff have done. They are maxing out this team, and it’s fun to see.

As someone who follows Kentucky now due to where I live, seeing a team actually playing defense is a breath of fresh air.

[Esqueleto]

Does the regular season champ still get the NIT bid or did that end this year?

[cajuns80]

A couple of things, I agree it did not look like 5K +, that is some over reporting there. I also watch the Troy v Arkansas State game and I don't know what the announced attendance was but for a team that was in first place in the conference, the attendance was atrocious. I don't believe there were close to 2K in Troy last night.

Secondly, I can wrap up what is wrong with UL basketball team in 1 word, physicality. Let me preface this by saying, I really like this team and think we have some really good pieces, but we have been blown out in only 2 games all year, we have had a chance to win 24 of the 26 games we have played, but in 7 of those losses we were physically outplayed in the latter half of the 2nd half because of our lack of strength.

If you look at the 9 rotational players that have gotten any significant playing time that are still on the team (Blake Butler does not count) we are not a physically gifted team. Let's look at the starting 5. Themus has a fairly muscular build for a PG, but he is still a smallish PG by D1 standards, Kentrell is a great shooter and solid on defense but undersized at the 2, I love Kobe and he is, arguably the best player on the team, but I would not consider him strong, Carencro Joe is one of my favorite all time players for the Cajuns, but he is a rail and Kitenge, while physically large, is not what I would consider strong, by any stretch and while his physical build is much better that what I expected when I heard he was coming to us, he is still not a prototypical big man. Then look at our bench rotation, Mike Thomas is playing incredible basketball right now, but he is a very small PG off the bench, Kyren Ratliff is a strong big kid, but still a freshman and still figuring it out, but even he is not what I would consider "strong", London Fields is undersized physically and the only guy on the team that is a physically "strong" athlete is Brandon Hardy.

I look at allot of the teams we have played and even beaten, like Arkansas State, USA, Bowling Green and some we have lost to, like Georgia State, Troy and others and you can see the physicality in them. I think when it comes to late in games, we are out muscled by other teams, and they wear us down and that is the difference. Even in games we have won where we have been up by double digits and end up winning by 7 or 8, you can see where other teams just out physical us.

The strength of this team is their ability to shoot and defend the perimeter, but most teams late in games have the ability to just lean on us until we are worn out.

Just my .02.

No doubt we are a soft team, but all those teams you listed off like Arkansas State are way softer than we are. We just lack size. Marlin has always had way undersized guards.

[Million$Mullet]

Does the regular season champ still get the NIT bid or did that end this year?

No.

And if Hosana ain’t strong I don’t know who is. That dude is a beast and his cardio is great.

[Big Tyme]

Not sure if 'weak' or 'soft' are accurate descriptions of the team. Maybe for ball back in the 80s. CBB and pro ball no longer reward big, banger types. Faster, quicker shooters and longer defenders are in vogue.
Anyway, good road win and a much tougher test on Saturday. A win up the mountain would be HUGE!

[Big Tyme]

No.

And if Hosana ain’t strong I don’t know who is. That dude is a beast and his cardio is great.

Yep and my dude LOVES the game and he gets rewarded for it.

[ZoomZoom]

Does the regular season champ still get the NIT bid or did that end this year?

Nope. I can’t find it, but someone did last year’s NIT bracket based on this year’s criteria. Non power conferences are getting shut out…again.

Can’t wait to see the actual. A non power team for an at large pretty much needs a NET less than 45 and zero quad 4 losses to have a chance at the NCAAs. We’ll learn the NIT’s soon, but I’m concerned the NIT is all about money and not any inkling of fairness. Non power conference teams that do make it to the NIT will be road dogs from the jump. And the way the press release is worded, the little guys should never be concerned about hosting a game.


“Instead, the NIT will guarantee two teams (based on the NET rankings) from each of six conferences (Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern). The top two teams in the NET rankings not qualifying for the NCAA men's basketball tournament from each conference, regardless of win-loss record, will be selected. Additionally, the 12 teams automatically selected will be guaranteed the opportunity to host a game in the first round of the NIT.

Once the 12 automatic qualifying schools have been selected, the NIT Committee will select the 20 best teams available to complete the tournament's 32-team field. Based on the NIT Committee's evaluation, the best four teams of the 20 at-large teams selected will complete the 16 first-round hosts, with deference given to the "first four teams out" of the Division I Men's Basketball Championship, as determined by the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee. Additional teams from the six conferences with automatic qualifications are eligible to be selected as at-large teams and can be selected as hosts”.

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/10/27...on-format.aspx

[Esqueleto]

Barstool should start a a tournament for all of the conference champs and other deserving teams that get left out of those. I'd definitely watch that!

[ZoomZoom]

Barstool should start a a tournament for all of the conference champs and other deserving teams that get left out of those. I'd definitely watch that!

Well, that’s the pay for play tournaments which most already don’t care about.

[Big Tyme]

Turbine--Curious as to why my avatar(Taylor Swift wearing a Nope shirt) keeps disappearing but the guy that has a mugshot of an adjudicated rapist is still up?

[RaginDave]

No.

And if Hosana ain’t strong I don’t know who is. That dude is a beast and his cardio is great.

I didn't mean he is soft by any means.

[Million$Mullet]

I didn't mean he is soft by any means.

I know you didn’t. I’m just saying that dude is, as my boy Jameis Winston says….SKRONG