ACU MBB at The Montagne Center Today

[baller]

There are a number of reasons a coach doesn’t play a player that aren’t suitable for sharing.My son was a Lamar athlete and sometimes he played and sometimes he did not.I had confidence the coach had more information to make that decision than the fans.In past years academics,behavior,chronic illness,injury practice play and more have been reasons for a player getting reduced or no playing time.We have had three or more key players playing through nagging injuries.If you follow the rockets you know Capella’s heel bruise has effected his play especially on back to backs.Similarly,Playing Thursday and then Saturday afternoon didn’t physically help some of us.This is a long conference season.The top teams are Sam,Stephen F.,Abilene and us to this point.If finishing top 4 isn’t good enough for the powers that be that is their decision,but looking at how others have played,barring worsening injuries,we have a decent chance of finishing top 4 or better.Hopefully we are more often the hammer and not the nail.

[baller]

Well,Nichols beat Sam last night so they probably deserve top tier consideration too.

[geezer]

A loss to ACU is not terrible in itself as they are a better program than they were three or four years ago, but it is the things that LU isn't doing that causes the loss in a game that could have been won that is the problem. Just my opinion from watching LU since around 1983 or 84 is that LU gets out coached more often than not in close games. The lack of a consistent half court offense is coaching philosophy, not attempting to get the ball inside to Sullivan for extended periods of the game is coaching. Lack of motion by all the players in the half court offense is coaching. Too much dribbling is coaching. Not playing with a high level of energy is both the player and the coach. I have no problem not playing a player that is trying to get over an injury or is being disciplined for what ever reason, but I would rather the player not be suited up if they are not going to play for either of those reasons. Lamar went for nearly nine minutes in the second half without a field goal and few good looks at the basket, while committing multiple turnovers. Edited January 5, 2020 by geezer

[baller]

As a former member of basketball coach selection committee,I would not tell a coach whether he could or not suit up a sick player,injured player etc.Think Rudy.It could send a bad message to new coach applicants.As the parent of a recruited college player I would want the coaches decisions being supported by the AD in this matter.As a parent It would concern if I knew this restriction was put on a coach.As a former area school board president I never had this brought up as a criticism of any high school coach.Please reconsider that criticism.The offense did bog down in the second half and Abilene’s adjustments,like quickly digging down and doubling the post,worked.Both teams played hard on defense but we did have a bit of a letdown for a few minutes late in the second half.I read that Sam was hit hard by the flu and had some players out for the Nichols game.McNeese had key players with the flu earlier in conference play.We do need to get better in attacking aggressive man to man defenses as Stephen F Austin is really good at that.

[geezer]

I never said anything about requiring a coach not to suit up players. I said in my opinion if a player is being disciplined or is injured and definately will not play then personally I would just as soon they were not suited up as Kopp was not suited up before the first game he played in. I doubt seriously that the same three players Nickerson, Morrison and Sohail have been sick or injured for all four of the conference games over the past three weeks. All three of these players provided quality minutes at least once in the pre-conference portion of the schedule. Yes Nickerson did play a few minutes during one of the games and Cameron played a little at UNO when fouls gave Price no choice. Again my opinion but these players are good enough to get some rotation minutes at least in the first half. Watching Sullivan this year it should be obvious that playing time is critical to the development of a player. Sullivan is a much better player right now than he was even at the beginning of this year. Maybe I would feel different if any of the following, Kopp, Holmes or Jefferson were consistently scoring twelve to fifteen points per game and not committing turnovers. But the stats are they don't score that well and they all commit turnovers. One thing I do know for sure is that if a player is working his but off in practice and believes he should be getting at least a little playing time, then in today's game often times that player looks to move on at the next opportunity, especially if the team isn't winning. Lamar isn't good enough to replace six to eight players every year. That's a coaching problem. Edited January 5, 2020 by geezer

[baller]

As I noted with the Capella analogy,injuries lead to some loss of conditioning.A former coach noted that possibly being an issue late in the game.As far as playing more players I have to trust the coaches being around the team more than us and spending lots of hours breaking down film.They probably know factors we don’t nor would the athletes liked shared publicly.These could be relatively simple issues but I know some of my former college and high school students would want their privacy respected.Heck,LSU had a star linebacker out for personal reasons for 6 games who will play in the national championship against Clemson and Coach O stuck to the personal reasons explanation and a few former players I know liked that for previously noted reasons.I do understand the wanting to know the reason why personnel are used or not and I’m curious too,but as a former teacher and coach I do know what student athletes have typically preferred about their privacy.Maybe you might ask the coach on a talk show or ask the radio host to ask him.Harold Mann is very accommodating and represents Lamar and KLVI well.

[baller]

How many posts get you to two star status ?

[geezer]

Really it boils down to this. If the team is winning few people criticize anything. If the team is loosing then all of us arm chair coaches chime in because there is a problem of some kind and we have our opinion of what it is. Is it the players (lack of size, lack of talent, not giving it 100%)? Is it coaching? Or is it a combination of both? Fans speculate and for me looking at Lamar it is coaching. I give Price full credit for getting Lamar out of the grave that Knight created, but after six years I don't believe Price is going to get Lamar to the next level. At least not on a consistent basis. I try my best to be objective. Others feel different and I am ok with that. Edited January 7, 2020 by geezer

[baller]

Well put Geezer.I hope all the players get healthy so we can see what this team can do.Roc was bit by injuries to key players his last three years from broken legs,torn ACL to hurt foot for a stud point guard.