This week, FanHouse is taking a look at the top teams heading into 2008 with a BlogPoll decided on by our college hoops bloggers. To help with the team capsules, we've brought in some of the top fan bloggers around the internets to give us insights on their teams.Today, we have enlisted Poseur of the And The Valley Shook blog to break down the LSU Tigers.
Let me first speak for about three-quarters of the LSU fanbase first: thank God John Brady is finally gone. I don't think I have ever loathed a coach as much as I loathe Brady. Eleven years of doing just enough to not get fired, Brady finally got shown the door as he followed up a fluky Final Four appearance with two last place finishes in the SEC West. OK, that's cheating, LSU was in last when Brady got canned, but rallied down the stretch, going 5-5 with an interim coach. So excuse us if we're a little shell-shocked, LSU fans have learned an important lesson over the past decade: don't get your hopes up.
To give Brady some credit, he didn't leave the cupboard entirely bare. In fact, LSU has two first-team all-SEC players (Marcus Thornton and Tasmin Mitchell) and another second-teamer (Chris Johnson). Even better, they all compliment each other. Thornton is a killer guard who can score from beyond the arc but also penetrate to the hoop to create his own shot.
Mitchell is a dynamic swing forward who can score from the inside but also step out and hit the outside shot. He's had 49 career games scoring in double figures, and seems like he's been on LSU's team for a decade (with the medical redshirt, it has been half a decade). Johnson didn't start until his junior year, in a typical Brady waste of talent, but when finally given a chance to play more than seven minutes a game, he averaged 11.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 2.2 BPG and that's with missing seven games with a broken hand.
Why they should be ranked here: Coaching, some serious talent on the wings, and a nice transition game. If things work out according to plan, Johnson will make the block or get the rebound, kick it out to one of our speedy guards, who will pressure the ball down the court and set up a quick, easy basket. I hate to say chemistry, but the team can't help but have better chemistry than during the Brady years.
Why they should be ranked higher: Because Tasmin Mitchell is healthy. Garrett Temple is the kind of player good teams need. He'll provide leadership, quality minutes, defense, and generally do all the things you want a role player to do. Thornton is a star player who really can do everything. If he goes from all-SEC to all-American, LSU is a top ten caliber team.
Why they should be ranked lower: Mitchell is coming off an injury and there's no telling how he'll play. Temple's never been a three before. LSU is starting a sophomore at point (Spencer), backed up by a freshman (Bass). That usually doesn't bode well. And we LSU fans really are projecting our hopes onto Trent Johnson. I hope we're right, but we've been wrong before.
Thanks to Poseur of And The Valley Shook for coming into the 'House to break down the Tigers.
