LSU basketball 2022, Part II

[SECbbfan24]

That's a huge improvement for Poole from what I remember seeing of her in the BIG10. Regardless of who they played last night, I'll take that ratio any day.

Poole has been improving a lot lately. Still drives into the lane too much recklessly for my liking but she is getting the ball where it needs to go. She has been a great spark plug. Her defense has been solid and she hits 3 point shots when Reese and Ladazhia kick it out due to the paint being packed. I would like to see her improve her midrange jump shot though. Its mostly 3 pointers and layups with her.

Hopefully they can fix Morris and Poa soon. I think Morris is pressing a little bit, she is missing shots she usually makes. Need to get her back to some of her midrange jump shots off the screens. Poa looks like her confidence evaporated and is gone right now in her shot. She is still hustling playing good D and distributing.

 

[cancontent]

Poole has been improving a lot lately. Still drives into the lane too much recklessly for my liking but she is getting the ball where it needs to go. She has been a great spark plug. Her defense has been solid and she hits 3 point shots when Reese and Ladazhia kick it out due to the paint being packed. I would like to see her improve her midrange jump shot though. Its mostly 3 pointers and layups with her.

Hopefully they can fix Morris and Poa soon. I think Morris is pressing a little bit, she is missing shots she usually makes. Need to get her back to some of her midrange jump shots off the screens. Poa looks like her confidence evaporated and is gone right now in her shot. She is still hustling playing good D and distributing.

1) Man, that will be a hard habit for her to break . I'm not an OSU fan but it drove me nuts, especially because she expected foul calls or would turn it over.

2) Your comment on her improved defense is also good to read. In my opinion, she took a lot of dumb fouls because she wouldn't move her feet when she was totally capable of doing so.

 

[SECbbfan24]

I know its only Oregon St but still pleased with the progress of the team overall. Arkansas will be a real challenge to deal with their offense.

Defense is slowly getting better. They need to go back and work on the 3 point shooting, so many wide open shots just not even close tonight.

 

[tigers4ever]

Good weekend for the Tigers. I like the team so much more when Morris is not playing point. Hopefully Kim will primarily use Poa and Poole as point going forward. As much as I wish Kim would rotate more, I understand that she is still building cohesiveness with her 8 man rotation. Cautiously optimistic for SEC play.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Good weekend for the Tigers. I like the team so much more when Morris is not playing point. Hopefully Kim will primarily use Poa and Poole as point going forward. As much as I wish Kim would rotate more, I understand that she is still building cohesiveness with her 8 man rotation. Cautiously optimistic for SEC play.

Poa had a really rough stretch but played really well the last two games. Poole is coming into her own more and more.

I think that is a BIG reason Poole started instead of Carson. Carson is very good but the more Morris is off the ball, the much better LSU will be. You may see that lineup moving forward now.

 

[LoTrader]

Oregon State looked like a high school team vs LSU. Congrats to LSU.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Oregon State looked like a high school team vs LSU. Congrats to LSU.

Best of luck to Oregon st the rest of the season!! Beers and TVO are really good.

 

[visitingcock]

LSU is #2 in new NET rankings.

NET Ranking - Women's College Basketball | WarrenNolan.com

 

[Coler]

LSU is #2 in new NET rankings.

NET Ranking - Women's College Basketball | WarrenNolan.com

 

[SECbbfan24]

LSU is #2 in new NET rankings.

NET Ranking - Women's College Basketball | WarrenNolan.com

I really dislike that. I’m sure LSU has a good squad but it’s too high for me, but don’t like that as all people do is throw hate on the players and people associated with LSU. I wish they could have had one chance against a top 25 team in the OOC but we knew that wasn’t going to happen for months. The Arkansas game will say a lot.

Quite frankly I find Arkansas to be the most difficult matchup outside of SC. It’s on the road. If they actually come out and win that one, they can quiet the skeptics. Lose, people will be all over Kim (but they always are anyways)

 

[Alydar]

I really dislike that. I’m sure LSU has a good squad but it’s too high for me, but don’t like that as all people do is throw hate on the players and people associated with LSU. I wish they could have had one chance against a top 25 team in the OOC but we knew that wasn’t going to happen for months. The Arkansas game will say a lot.

Quite frankly I find Arkansas to be the most difficult matchup outside of SC. It’s on the road. If they actually come out and win that one, they can quiet the skeptics. Lose, people will be all over Kim (but they always are anyways)

Top 25? Their first 5 opponents were ranked 300-352. When a P-5 team has zero quadrent 1 and one quadrent 2 opponent on their schedule it can only be interpreted as Mulkey trying to justify her salary with a Potemkin schedule.

This is totally on the coaching staff, not the players. But it's hard to justify individual stats when they are gained playing what are essentially DII teams.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Top 25? Their first 5 opponents were ranked 300-352. When a P-5 team has zero quadrent 1 and one quadrent 2 opponent on their schedule it can only be interpreted as Mulkey trying to justify her salary with a Potemkin schedule.

This is totally on the coaching staff, not the players. But it's hard to justify individual stats when they are gained playing what are essentially DII teams.

We knew the schedule was trash for months. We are beating a dead horse here and this schedule is a new low even for Kim. It’s never been this blatantly bad. Quite frankly it’s evident they scheduled like they expected to have nothing this year and like a coach who didn’t have confidence in the team competing with more talented teams early. Only 2 scholarship players from last years group is on this one. While the schedule let the players build cohesion, give playing time and to develop chemistry, they remain still untested for what they will face down the road.

We can all agree and even Kim said so that nothing can be made of this team due to the schedule. It’s on her and she can own that and the potential consequences of it.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Well that one went a little better than I expected. The careless passing resulting in dumb turnovers has to improve though.

 

[Coler]

Well that one went a little better than I expected. The careless passing resulting in dumb turnovers has to improve though.

Very good defense and rebounding though!

 

[SECbbfan24]

Very good defense and rebounding though!

Yup

Complete opposite of last year where Arkansas had wide open shots after wide open shots.

 

[Plebe]

What a beatdown by LSU on Arkansas. So much for their creampuff OOC schedule leaving them unprepared for this test.

 

[Dwilliams02]

Sigh of relief. Great win. Lil ugly. But I'll take it.

 

[SECbbfan24]

What a beatdown by LSU on Arkansas. So much for their creampuff OOC schedule leaving them unprepared for this test.

The chemistry has been significantly better since that Maui tournament. Look like they are finally on the same page defensively.

Team has more potential than last year if they can maintain their efforts on the defensive end. LSU didn't have defense last year to fall back onto unfortunately.

 

[JellyBean]

Great win for LSU. Arkansas is an up-and-coming team just not enough to handle a talented squad like LSU. Tip my hat to Coach Kim and her LSU squad.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Smothering, physical defense and elite rebounding. Wait until Mulkey gets some players who can make shots.

 

[Plebe]

Smothering, physical defense and elite rebounding. Wait until Mulkey gets some players who can make shots.

The trio of Reese, LaDazhia Williams and (of all players) Flaujae Johnson combined for 42 (!!) rebounds, including 18 O-boards. Just wow.

Arkansas is a perennially bad rebounding team, but still.

 

[tigers4ever]

I was glad to see Morris step up offensively when it was clear that Carson was off. Morris could do that every game but I think she is really trying to expand her game for WNBA purposes to be able to play point.

 

[SECbbfan24]

I was glad to see Morris step up offensively when it was clear that Carson was off. Morris could do that every game but I think she is really trying to expand her game for WNBA purposes to be able to play point.

She can play the point, the issue is her offense seems to drop off a bit when she is the main ball handler. Doesn't seem like she is able to get in the same type of flow. Sometimes she just straight up takes awful off balance shots. But LSU doesn't have a true PG. Poole has her moments although gets reckless with the ball at times. Poa who does well at times still isn't what I consider a natural ball handler.

But the team as a whole was pretty dreadful offensively and were turnover machines. Everyone across the board missed too many wide open shots. That said that was some of the best defense I have seen from a LSU team in a long long long time. Arkansas is the type of team that have historically given Mulkey team fits. They embarrassed LSU last year and they beat her Baylor team a couple years prior. I would say the defense doing what it did tonight encourages me more in the long run despite the sloppiness offensively.

 

[Dwilliams02]

She can play the point, the issue is her offense seems to drop off a bit when she is the main ball handler. Doesn't seem like she is able to get in the same type of flow. Sometimes she just straight up takes awful off balance shots. But LSU doesn't have a true PG. Poole has her moments although gets reckless with the ball at times. Poa who does well at times still isn't what I consider a natural ball handler.

But the team as a whole was pretty dreadful offensively and were turnover machines. Everyone across the board missed too many wide open shots. That said that was some of the best defense I have seen from a LSU team in a long long long time. Arkansas is the type of team that have historically given Mulkey team fits. They embarrassed LSU last year and they beat her Baylor team a couple years prior. I would say the defense doing what it did tonight encourages me more in the long run despite the sloppiness offensively.

Agreed. Because Kim fortunately is a genius when it comes to getting her team to score points.

Defense is my biggest fear. They seem to be hanging their hat on the defensive end. We have great individual defenders though

 

[TC22]

Agreed. Because Kim fortunately is a genius when it comes to getting her team to score points.

Defense is my biggest fear. They seem to be hanging their hat on the defensive end. We have great individual defenders though

The game against SC is going to be interesting. Dawn has more flexibility in how she wants to play and who will match up with who. Gonna be a chess match for sure.

There are a couple of teams who can play spoiler, but it’s really going to come down to SC, LSU and Tenn. I think all the other teams will knock each other out.