NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Auburn Finds Its Way to the Bubble

Chas Rich — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 21:36:00 EST

Filed under: LSU, SEC

No one saw this season coming from the Auburn Tigers. Not in the preseason, when most considered the Tigers to be a team somewhere in the bottom six teams. Instead with the win over LSU, Auburn is 10-6 in the SEC and 21-10 overall. Most importantly, Auburn has worked its way into the discussion for the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn has won eight of their last nine, beating Tennessee, Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Their RPI may be up around 70, but they have been the hottest team in the SEC. A decent run in the SEC Tournament, and they will be hard to keep out of the NCAA Tournament. In a year where the bubble is crowded with plenty of other teams that have missed their chances to get that final win, Auburn has been doing just that.

Auburn 69, No. 11 LSU 53: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

Auburn Finds Its Way to the Bubble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 21:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LSU Pushes Kentucky to the Brink

Chas Rich — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:48:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, LSU, SEC

LSU had not won a game in Lexington since 1989. They were 4-34 against Kentucky going back to 1952. By any measure, the Tigers have not done well when visiting the Wildcats. This was an absolute must-win for Kentucky in the LSU.

Instead, Marcus Thornton used the second half to demonstrate why he should be under consideration for SEC Player of the Year along with Kentucky's Jodie Meeks. Thornton poured in 19 of his 23 points in the second half to lead the Tigers to a big win that puts Kentucky off the bubble.

No. 18 LSU 73, Kentucky 70: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

Kentucky made a great run in the second half to overcome an eight point halftime deficit and building a ten point lead halfway through. LSU, however, came storming back. The Tigers have more than just Thornton, as big an impact as he is, with Tasmin Mitchell and Bo Spencer providing additional offense inside and out. In the final minutes, LSU just had too many threats for Kentucky to stop.

As has often been the case with Kentucky this year, the lack of any real threat after Meeks and Patrick Patterson killed them. Patterson and Meeks combined for 52 points on 22-for-39 shooting. Meeks, though, was held in check on the perimeter with only 1-for-9 shooting outside. When the game was tight in the final minutes, LSU was able to focus on just stopping Meeks and Patterson.

For LSU this sets them up to be, a top-4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The only SEC team with a shot at that.

Kentucky is on the brink of elimination from the NCAA Tournament bubble without a deep run in the SEC Tournament. The last chance for Kentucky will come next Saturday at Florida to end the season. Otherwise, the Wildcats run of 14 straight NCAA Tournament appearances will be done.

LSU Pushes Kentucky to the Brink originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does Anyone Want to Win the SEC?

Chas Rich — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:08:00 EST

Filed under: Florida, Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, SEC

Well, I mean aside from LSU which has run their record to 10-1 in the conference. Over in the SEC East it is a mess. Whether you want to call it parity, mediocrity or just plain suckitude, there are four teams pillow-fighting their way to see who can back into the top spot in the division.

Kentucky got humiliated by Vanderbilt yesterday. Florida, which had lost three of four got a win over a bad Alabama team. Tennessee got run out of Oxford by an injury-ravaged Ole Miss team. South Carolina has been overachieving, but they couldn't win in Starkville. That leaves all four with identical 7-4 conference records.
South Carolina may have the best chance to win the SEC East. The Gamecocks get Kentucky and Tennessee at home and have games with one-win Arkansas and one-win Georgia as well as 5-6 Vandy.

Tennessee has the toughest road, with road games at South Carolina, Florida and Kentucky still on its schedule. They also have to face Mississippi State before they end the season with Alabama.

Kentucky does not have it that much easier. Even with three home games, Rupp Arena has hardly been a source of mystique and intimidation. The Wildcats have to play LSU, Tennessee, go to South Carolina and finish the season at Florida. Only a visit from Georgia seems like a respite.

Florida should be able to finish reasonably strong. They do have to go to LSU and Mississippi State, but they have Vandy, Tennessee and Kentucky coming to them.

All four of the teams somewhere on the dreaded bubble. Except for Tennessee, they have all played very, very weak non-conference schedules. Couple that with the SEC being so weak, and the only sure way any of them have to get into the NCAA Tournament is by winning the conference tournament.

Does Anyone Want to Win the SEC? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ranking the Rankings: UConn Still No. 1*

Will Brinson — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, Butler, Connecticut, Duke, LSU, Oklahoma, UCLA, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10, Media Watch

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics when the polls come out.

Headlining: The beauty of a Tuesday column, at least this season, is that whoever ends up No. 1 can do so with an asterisk based on Monday's games. (*In case you didn't know already, Pittsburgh beat Connecticut.) And it appears that next week, we'll likely have a new No. 1 team in the nation. That will likely be Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners. Which is fitting, considering Griffin dropped a rediculous 40-point, 23-rebound Valentine's Day stat line on Texas Tech Saturday night.

But for now, at least, UConn is still your No. 1 based on this week's rankings. And it's not like they don't deserve it either; yes, Hasheem Thabeet was outmanned by DeJuan Blair down low (from the start, no less), and yes, the Huskies missed Jerome Dyson, but they're still a top-five squad despite losing on their home court Monday.

Freefallin': Duke (20-5). "Freefall" might be a stretch considering Duke is "only" at ninth overall. But they've lost four of six overall and the only two wins were over Virginia (unimpressive) and Miami (a textbook squeaker). The Blue Devils have serious issues right now, particularly with their point guard and post play, and unfortunately, those are two pretty important aspects of basketball. The home stretch, featuring North Carolina, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Florida State, isn't pretty either. Butler (22-3). Here's a hint, mid-majors: Don't lose. The Bulldogs, a very talented and dangerous, albeit young, team, coughed up a single game to Loyola-Chicago and nearly got booted from the top 25. Presuming Stephen Curry can play this Saturday, they'll have a chance for redemption at Davidson. Matt Howard, by the way, is very much for real. UCLA (19-6). It's a pretty simple formula, really. Lose twice in a week after having your value inflated (sixth in the Coaches' Poll!) and you'll hurt yourself moving down the poll the next week.

You Gotta Rise Up: Arizona State (20-5). Just another 20-game winner plus a trip to the NCAA for Herb Sendek, eh? The Sun Devils rode a four-game winning streak, including a home victory over UCLA for a season sweep of the Bruins, all the way up to 11th in the coaches' Poll (14th in the AP). LSU (21-4). Clearly, the Tigers felt that the SEC was under performing and needed someone to rep the conference in the polls. That, and they ripped off six straight wins (and nine of their last 10); granted, every single one of those wins is in-conference, so the whole "grain of salt" thing applies, but that doesn't make a tiny taste of cream rising above sour milk any less impressive. Back-to-backs against Florida and at Kentucky might even come after they've locked up an SEC West title and an NCA tourney bid.

Hyped: Duke, clearly, right? The Devils aren't "bad" per se, but right now, I'm extremely confident that they are not the ninth best team in the nation. Sure, college basketball is rife with parity and the ACC is most likely the best conference in the nation (the Big East, obviously, would disagree) but if you're a top-10 team in the nation, you're not coughing up four of six games. The Clemson game -- an absolute embarrassment -- stands out more than anything.

Bunked: Arizona, despite winning seven straight games -- in-conference no less! -- isn't pulling much love from the pollsters. And sure, maybe they aren't a legit top-25 team (sorry, Bacon) at this exact moment, if we're going to reward Syracuse for losing seven games, I see no reason why the Wildcats can't get some love with eight. Missouri is ranked 11th in the AP poll, and while that might seem generous even following a huge come from behind win over Kansas and a throttling of Nebraska, I think they're better than that. Certainly better than Duke and Wake Forest, no?

WTF? Why are there only 500 some names on the Pollspeak petition to force all college voting polls into the public? There should be five million. Do your country a favor and sign that sucker electronically so we can make sure the integrity of our college athletics aren't being compromised. Or, "more compromised than they already are by the BCS."

People Who Vote Are Smart (Brought to You by Pollspeak.com): Michael Vega was the pretty clear winner in "insane voter of the week" for the past seven days. While I don't necessarily disagree with all of the points he appears to be making with his ballot, there are still some, ahem, irregularities. For instance, Duke is 25th. Even I won't agree with that. Additionally, Butler is sixth. Not doable following a loss to Loyola. He has Dayton at seventh, while Louisville clocks in at a lowly 17. Additionally, Arizona State is unranked. LSU sits at 13. And even Connecticut was number two (regardless if that turned out to be correct, it's indicative). All told, six of his teams are higher in the polls than anyone else, with another six checking in lower than anyone else. It's like someone handed Jeff Goldblum (the Jurassic Park version) a ballot and some sort of chaos theory erupted, only with less non-pertinent lines of thinking.

Ranking the Rankings: UConn Still No. 1* originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Recap of the FanHouse 2008 Semi-Preseason BlogPoll

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Connecticut, Davidson, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, LSU, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA, UNC, UNLV, USC, Wake Forest, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Mid-Majors, Pac-10, SEC, NCAA Basketball BlogPoll, Fans, University of Miami

Well, there you have it. The FanHouse Preseason College Hoops BlogPoll for 2008 is complete.

The voting for No. 1 was not close. North Carolina was atop every single ballot. UCLA, Louisville and UConn usually followed in a variety of orders. From there, it was a typical free-for-all as there is a glut of teams from No. 5 to No. 12 that was very fluid.

The poll also had some newcomers to it. Davidson is now a household name; St. Mary's will soon be; UNLV is back on the map while schools like Arizona State, Miami-FL and Wake Forest are primed to make their move. Defending champion Kansas didn't make the cut.

Still, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The top two ranked teams were in the Final Four last year, UConn takes back its place among the elite and six of last March's Elite Eight are ranked in the top twenty.

Will we be wrong with this poll? Of course! Heck, our No. 2 team has already been beaten. But name me the last time the Associated Press or the coaches got their preseason poll completely right. The key is that these teams will be the ones to know when March Madness rolls around.

Big thanks to all the bloggers across the internets for lending a hand and breaking down these teams.

1 - North Carolina Tar Heels
2 - UCLA Bruins
3 - UConn Huskies
4 - Louisville Cardinals
5 - Michigan State Spartans
6 - Gonzaga Bulldogs
7 - Oklahoma Sooners
8 - Pittsburgh Panthers
9 - Purdue Boilermakers
10 - Memphis Tigers
11 - Texas Longhorns
12 - Duke Blue Devils
13 - Miami-FL Hurricanes
14 - Arizona State Sun Devils
15 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
16 - Wake Forest Demon Deacons
17 - Tennessee Volunteers
18 - UNLV Runnin' Rebels
19 - St. Mary's Gaels
20 - Davidson Wildcats
21 - Florida Gators
22 - Marquette Golden Eagles
23 - LSU Tigers
24 - USC Trojans
25 - Syracuse Orange

Recap of the FanHouse 2008 Semi-Preseason BlogPoll originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse NCAA Hoops BlogPoll: No. 23, LSU Tigers

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: LSU, SEC, Fans

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.

FanHouse NCAA Hoops BlogPoll: No. 23, LSU Tigers originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LSU Hires Stanford Coach Trent Johnson

Michael David Smith — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:22:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, Stanford Basketball, LSU, The Word

Stanford basketball coach Trent Johnson is leaving to take the head-coaching job at LSU, multiple media outlets are reporting.

The news, which was first reported by Emily Turner of KMSS TV, means the Tigers have a proven winner at the helm of their basketball program. Johnson was the Pac-10 coach of the year this season and is well respected for his coaching acumen and his demeanor, even if what got him the most attention this season was getting ejected from a Tournament game. LSU fired John Brady during the season.

Johnson has been a successful coach at Stanford but may be motivated to leave in part because next year's team won't be nearly as talented as the one he led to the Sweet 16 last year. With the Lopez twins leaving for the NBA, Stanford was already going to look a lot different next season. The new Stanford coach will have a tough job ahead of him.

LSU Hires Stanford Coach Trent Johnson originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UMass Blogger Doesn't Appreciate Travis Ford to LSU Rumors

Josh Alper — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, Umass Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches, NCAA Basketball Gossip

Even though there are a few games left to play before a champion is crowned, the college basketball coaching carousel is alive and spinning. In the SEC, South Carolina hired Darrin Horn but they aren't the only league school looking for a new coach. LSU needs one too and may also end up with a Kentucky native on their bench.

Travis Ford of UMass has been named by more than one outlet as the leading candidate for the Tiger job. The timing, UMass plays the NIT final tonight, doesn't sit right with Erik Gallant at Minuteblog.

If you are going to blow a journalistic raspberry on a team on the verge of one of the biggest games in school history, please either offer an iron-clad guarantee of accuracy, or provide sources for the information.

I understand the desire for an unfettered run-up to a championship game but this is the nature of the beast. LSU's President used to be the President at UMass, Ford has done good things at UMass and is well-known around the SEC because of his days at Kentucky. This isn't wild speculation, then, but well-reasoned reportage using sources, anonymous though they be, to back it up.

UMass fans must dread losing Ford just as he's put the program back on good footing but I'd guess it's going to happen. They can take solace in the fact that the rumors didn't hurt them against Florida on Tuesday, at least, and hope Ford leaves on a winning note.

UMass Blogger Doesn't Appreciate Travis Ford to LSU Rumors originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Would Tim Floyd Bail on Southern Cal?

Charles Rich — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:12:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, SEC Basketball, USC Basketball

The rumors have been that LSU would pursue Southern Cal Coach Tim Floyd. Floyd, as a ~~LSU alum~~ Louisian Tech grad, from Mississippi and seems like a natural fit. Of course, there is the issue of whether LSU would pay what it would take for a name basketball coach. There is also the issue of whether Floyd believes he can recruit the talent like he can at USC.

Of course the trade-off might be that USC might not have as much talent in the near future with the way Floyd has recruited. Creating up-and-down seasons.

O.J. Mayo is certainly done at USC. Taj Gibson is probably leaning towards going, regardless of his declarations of being unsure. Freshman forward, Davon Jefferson, will at least test the draft waters. Daniel Hackett has always seemed to think higher of his ability than others do.

There's also the fact that incoming one-and-done freshman DeMar Rozan cost the Trojans an extra scholarship that they had to give to his buddy Lil' Romeo.

It seems that Floyd might be already nervous about the way he has gone for the one-and-dones.

Floyd said before the Trojans' 80-67 loss to Kansas State in the first round of the NCAA Midwest Regional on Thursday that he might reconsider the benefits of one-year players if they harm the team's Academic Progress Rate.

"It will be a detriment if and when O.J. leaves if he's not academically eligible and costs us a scholarship," Floyd said. "That would be something that would make me review whether or not to give another guy like this an opportunity at some point."

That he would be worried about Mayo's academic eligibility in March, and feel concerned that the APR was too close to the edge can't be a good thing. Suddenly an exit strategy with LSU seems more probable.

Would Tim Floyd Bail on Southern Cal? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Brady Hired by Arkansas State

Charles Rich — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:43:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

Well, I guess John Brady was serious about getting right back to coaching. The former Louisiana State coach was fired in February.

He didn't even take a few months off. He is apparently the new coach of Arkansas State.

Arkansas State will name John Brady its next basketball coach, a source close to Brady has told CBSSports.com.

ASU called a Wednesday press conference to announce the hiring.

Arkansas State had looked at a few SEC retreads including former Razorbacks coach Nolan Richardson.

Brady had 3 years left on his contract when he was fired from LSU. He was to get his base salary of $300,000 per year unless he was hired elsewhere. Presumably, the amount would be reduced by the whatever he was paid by another school. Brady really let the LSU Athletic Department off the hook by jumping right back into coaching.

John Brady Hired by Arkansas State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The SEC Likes Anthony Grant

Josh Alper — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:05:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, South Carolina Basketball, SEC Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

There's still a lot of college hoops to be played this season but I'm going to be bold and make my first prediction for the 2008-09 season: Anthony Grant will be coaching in the Southeastern Conference. I'm not really sticking my neck out, here. Grant, fresh off VCU's upset of Duke in the NCAA Tournament, was all set to take over Florida last year before Billy Donovan reversed course and left the Orlando Magic high and dry.

Now, with the Rams two games up in the CAA and looking to make more March noise, Grant is an even stronger candidate for a big-time job. As it happens, two SEC programs will be looking for a coach. LSU and South Carolina are both interested in Grant, according to various reports, and for good reason. His two years at VCU have been nothing but successful and 10 years as an assistant to Donovan prepared him for life in the SEC.

Grant won't talk about next steps right now and, quite frankly, he wouldn't be the coach he is if he allowed his focus to turn to another school and another season. Grant passed on head jobs while at Florida to wait for the right one, but this is a different situation. He can't do much better at VCU than he has the past two seasons and a poor year or two will take away some of his shine. You have to strike while the iron is hot and none is hotter than Grant right now.

The SEC Likes Anthony Grant originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tennessee Steals Out of Baton Rouge With W

Andy Katzer — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 21:38:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, Tennessee Basketball, SEC Basketball

When last we saw the Vols, they were making the scoreboard smoke in a hectic 104-82 win over Florida last Tuesday night. The only smoke seen around Tennessee on Saturday was coming out of Bruce Pearl's ears as his team barely scraped through an ugly two-point win against LSU, a game that was in doubt until JaJuan Smith's steal and layup with about 10 seconds remaining.

At halftime of Tuesday night's game, Tennessee trailed Florida by a score of 44-48, a margin that seems more significant now in light of a much closer 47-45 victory UT squeezed out against LSU Saturday. That's 92 points total for the game by both teams, the same total as Tuesday's game at halftime. Twelve less than the final the Vols put up by themselves against the Gators. Less than 10 points more than Tennessee's per-game average going into Saturday.

To put it simply, the Vols just weren't their usual high-octane selves against LSU. Oh, they took plenty of shots, but didn't make many, obvs. In fact, UT took 60 field goals, only hitting 19. They tried 19 threes, but made just five. And they were sorry from the stripe as well, going just 4-15. JaJuan Smith, who turned out to be the game's hero, made his only shot of the day on that steal and game-winning layup (otherwise missing all seven of his other shots, including five 3s). Only two Vols (Chris Lofton and Wayne Chism) Shot better than 39%.

All of this against the SEC's worst team in LSU: a team that had just fired it's coach and seemed to have no direction. The Jefferson Pilot Lincoln Financial Raycom announcers, though known for their hyperbole, might have been right when they repeatedly stated throughout the game the a LSU win would be the biggest upset in the program's history -- but it wasn't to be. So, on a day that the Tigers could have made a statement about the rest of their season, but didn't, the Vols are left hoping that this game doesn't say too much about them, either.

Tennessee Steals Out of Baton Rouge With W originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 09 Feb 2008 21:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LSU Fires Hoops Coach John Brady

Michael David Smith — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:19:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, SEC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

LSU has fired men's basketball head coach John Brady, multiple media outlets are reporting.

From Gary Parrish of Sportsline:

It's unclear whether Brady will finish the season. If he does not assistant Butch Pierre is expected to take over on an interim basis.

LSU is 8-13 overall, 1-6 in the SEC.

Some coaches that should surface as possible replacements are Southern California's Tim Floyd, Virginia Commonwealth's Anthony Grant and Ole Miss' Andy Kennedy.

Brady, who is losing his job less than two years after taking LSU to a Final Four, has had an up-and-down career since replacing Dale Brown at LSU in 1997. He had losing records in his first two seasons leading the Tigers, including a grand total of six wins in the SEC. But he went 28-6 in his third year and got to the Sweet 16. Overall, he managed just three winning SEC seasons in 11 years at the helm. That's the kind of record that a coach just can't survive.

LSU Fires Hoops Coach John Brady originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stop the Presses! LSU Wins One

Ryan Ferguson — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:26:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, SEC Basketball

It was the best of times, it was the worst of ~~times~~ teams...

Earlier in the week, our own Andy Katzer wondered whether LSU would win another game this year. That was a totally legit concern for the Bayou Bengals, whose 7-12 record heading into their game against Auburn was far more glamorous than the performance which got them there. LSU was winless in conference play and hadn't won a road game since December of 2006. Any road game.

Fear no more: LSU can beat an SEC team, and they can do it on the road. Auburn fell 81-80 after Marcus Thornton drained a 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds remaining on the clock.

Give credit to the purple Tigers for withstanding an early Auburn barrage. Auburn went on a 9-0 run in the first three minutes of the game, but LSU answered with a 12-1 run of their own to take the lead.

After a tight 39 minutes in which neither team could hold an advantage, the sequence of events in the game's final seconds was... strange. After Thornton's go-ahead trey, Auburn's Quan Prowell stepped on the baseline while trying to inbound the ball, giving possession back to LSU. Auburn promptly fouled Anthony Randolph, who missed the front end of his 1-and-1. Lebo's kids had one final shot with 3 seconds remaining, but it wasn't enough.

The burning questions:

Can LSU build off of this and make a run in the SEC? Answer: Nope.

Is this a big setback for Auburn? Answer: At 2-4 and hampered by a short, injury-plagued bench, they're probably not going to make much noise in the SEC West anyway. Bill Shakespeare said it best: This game was "a tale... full of sound and fury; signifying nothing."

Stop the Presses! LSU Wins One originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Daily W: LSU Really Stinks

Andy Katzer — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:20:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, SEC Basketball

Each weekday, The Daily W asks about the Who, What, Where, When, or Whys of SEC basketball. Today's question:

When did LSU become so awful?

Two years ago LSU went to the Final Four. Last year they went 17-15 and missed the postseason. Going into Wednesday night's game with Auburn, the Bayou Bengals would need to win out in order to beat that win total, and they ain't gonna. Considering that LSU hasn't beaten a team with a RPI better than 144, and the lowest-ranked team they have left is Kentucky (131 -- nine of LSU's last 11 opponents are top 100 RPI), they might not win again.

Last year LSU had six losses by four or fewer points, four in SEC. So far this year, the Tigers haven't won a SEC game yet, but only one of those losses has been as close as four points. Many have been blowouts, including the stinker against Mississippi State in which LSU only scored 39(!) points. So how does one go from Final Four to horrific in just a couple of seasons?

The answer might be in the roster. Over the last three years, LSU has had two SEC Players of the Year (Brandon Bass, Glen Davis) and a SEC Freshman of the Year (Tyrus Thomas), and none of those guys are with the team anymore. That's some heavy attrition. This year's starting five includes three guys who are in their first year with the team: JUCOs Marcus and Quentin Thornton and super frosh Anthony Randolph. Marcus Thornton is scoring nearly 19 points/game, so it's hard to imagine he's the problem. But still, Quentin Thornton is just now getting into the lineup after missing time with an injury, and even though Randolph is a guy most any team would want, it's hard to build when guys aren't used to seeing each other on the floor.

Coach John Brady now has to hope either his guys gel as the season continues or the LSU brass is so distracted by their shiny new football hardware to care what's happening on the hardwood. Unfortunately for Brady, it could get a whole lot worse for LSU before things get any better.

SEC Daily W: LSU Really Stinks originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Old School Hoops: Pistol Pete Maravich

Ryan Ferguson — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, SEC Basketball

For you LSU hoops fans who have been racking your brains looking for some good news in the Tigers' winless SEC tilt in 2008, I... can't help you. But we can go back in time and enjoy one of the all-time greats, Pistol Pete Maravich, who was probably the best player ever to don an LSU uniform.

Now, I realize 5:40 in YouTube time is the equivalent of the director's cut version of the The Godfather, but do yourself a favor and watch the whole thing. Thy jaw shall drop.

And here's all you really need to know to understand just how sensational Pistol Pete really was:

Also known as "Pistol Pete", he starred in college at Louisiana State University and for three NBA teams. Maravich is still the all-time leading NCAA scorer, averaging a staggering 44.2 points per game, without the benefit of a three-point line and excluding the records of his freshman year due to the fact that when Pete was in his first year of college, the NCAA had separate freshmen and varsity basketball teams and freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity team. It was calculated by LSU coach Dale Brown that Maravich would have averaged 57 points per game with the benefit of a college three-point line.

We'll never see another player like Pistol Pete Maravich.

Old School Hoops: Pistol Pete Maravich originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 27 Jan 2008 13:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vandy's Win Over LSU Just Proves that LSU is Really Bad

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:26:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, SEC Basketball, Vanderbilt Basketball

No offense, Vandy fans, but the Commodores weren't nearly as good as their record indicated before they were beaten like a drum by Tennessee last week.

And don't forget that a 7-8 Kentucky squad beat 'em the week prior.

So forgive me if I take Vandy's 92-76 drubbing of John Brady's Tigers as just another validation of LSU's suckitude rather than a sign that Vanderbilt's slide has ended.

The Commodores were able to win by 16 points despite Shan Foster's 1-11 performance from behind the 3-point arc.

As for LSU, kunior guard Marcus Thornton was a stud for the Tigers, scoring 27 points.

And... that's about it. LSU is really bad. That will be all.

Vandy's Win Over LSU Just Proves that LSU is Really Bad originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Coaching Hotseats Start Heating Up

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:06:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Basketball, LSU Basketball, South Carolina Basketball, SEC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

There's a feeling of finality about this season for certain coaches whose teams have long struggled in the conference. A feeling so pervasive that certain natives -- er, fans -- have begun dancing around the fire chanting and singing ceremonial tribal chants.

The hottest seat of them all was reserved for South Carolina's David Odom until he announced his retirement on Friday. Odom never had an SEC record better than 8-8 and was 37-61 against conference opponents.

Mark Gottfried, Alabama

The hottest seat at present has to be reserved for Alabama's Mark Gottfried. The Tide were once again picked in the preseason as one of the more talented teams in the league. With stars like Alonzo Gee, Richard Hendrix and Ronald Steele on the roster, Bama seemed like they could be poised to make a run for an SEC title. Unfortunately, Ronald Steele's knees are still getting the best of him and he's been forced to watch his teammates play from the bench. Despite losing Steele (again), the Tide are still talented enough to win plenty of games. Right? Wrong. Alabama is 11-7 overall and more importantly, 0-3 in the SEC. Even the most stolid of Bama hoops blogs, the Alabama Basketball blog, is starting to post questions about Coach Mark Gottfried's salary.

John Brady, LSU

Did John Brady's Tigers really play in the 2006 Final Four? It seems impossible to believe that a coach could be on the hotseat just two years later, but there's no question that Brady is roasting right now. After that magical 27-9 season which ended with a loss to UCLA, the Tigers seemed to spiral out of control. The lone highlight of the 2007 season was beating eventual national champion Florida, but a 17-15 overall and 5-11 conference record left the Tigers bereft of a postseason... as in, they weren't even invited by the NIT.

2008 might be worse. The Tigers are 7-10 to start things off and have logged 3 conference losses against zero wins. In pre-conference play they suffered an embarassing loss to Tulane, and scored a school-low 39 total points in their home conference opener against Mississippi State.

SEC Coaching Hotseats Start Heating Up originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could This Be John Brady's Final Year at LSU?

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:09:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, SEC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Coaches

Poor LSU. While the football program celebrates a national championship and the likelihood that their coach, Les Miles, is going to be in Baton Rouge for a long time to come, the basketball team floats in a vat of misery.

It was just two years ago, but it seems like a lifetime, now: the Tigers, led by Glen "Big Baby" Davis, bulled their to the Final Four but were destroyed by UCLA, one of the best teams in college basketball.

Since that zenith, life has been miserable for LSU hoops fans. John Brady's team went 5-11 in conference play in the '07 season, and found themselves on the outside looking in... on the NIT, that is. LSU's weakness at point guard and offensive woes ultimately sunk them and led to a hoops season with no postseason.

2008 is looking like it'll be even worse. The Tigers were 7-7 in pre-conference play leading up to their season opener against Mississippi State... which they lost. The Bulldogs are a pretty decent team in the SEC West this year, and were favored to defeat the Bayou Bengals, so there's no real shame in losing... except for the fact that the Tigers only scored 39 points to Mississippi State's 61.

LSU was held to a shocking 21 percent FG percentage, and suffered the ignomy of allowing 10 shots to be blocked by MSU. It was the lowest total points scored in a game by LSU in sixty years.

Things get harder for the Tigers before they get any easier. They'll have to play Andy Kennedy's red-hot Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford tonight at 6:00PM ET.

John Brady's efforts have been an exercise of futility these past months. To say the coach is feeling the heat would be an understatement. From And the Valley Shook:

What's the opposite of "superlative"? Because I wouldn't have enough to describe John Brady's coaching ability. I don't know if they closed the dozens-of-pages-long "Fire John Brady" thread on TigerDroppings, but the sentiment's still there.

My salient memory of John Brady after his Final Four run was his relentless campaign for a pay raise. Brady used the spotlight from his success to put pressure on LSU athletic director Skip Bertman to compensate him for a job well done. Less than 21 months later, Brady would be lucky to keep his job at reduced pay.

Could This Be John Brady's Final Year at LSU? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LSU And Their Awesome Implosions

Charles Rich — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:13:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Basketball, Washington Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, SEC Basketball

I am so completely impressed by the LSU Tigers. It takes a special team to blow some huge leads in spectacular fashion. Earlier this season they completely fell apart against Villanova with a 21-point lead with under 10 minutes to lose. Getting blown out in the second half on the road against Wichita State wasn't so bad, though losing by 20 was embarrassing. Today, though, they may have hit a new low in this young season.

At home against a distinctly average Washington team, LSU had a 41-27 lead at halftime. It could have been more, but LSU failed to score in the final 1:38 of the first half. The dry spell continued for almost 6 1/2 minutes into the second half. In that time, the Huskies were able to close to within 2 points.

LSU couldn't do anything right. Poor shooting, turnovers and weak defense. The excuse of being a young team only carries a team so far. This is something more right now. It's a team that is unable to handle the slightest bit of a comeback by another team. Panic, individual play and ignoring teammates set in the minute the opposition mounts a run.

All credit to Washington for making the big comeback, but it's hard not to see this game as nothing but another LSU collapse.

LSU And Their Awesome Implosions originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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