Looking down the barrel of a tough schedule to end the basketball season

[18IsTheMan]

The schedule does not sit favorably for us right now, particularly as we just played our 2 worst games of the season. After winning 7 in a row, we could easily be looking at losing 7 in a row. Our next 4 games will be extremely tough. We have 2 difficult road games against Ole Miss, against whom we narrowly avoided a late-game collapse at home, and then at A&M. We then get UT and a surging UF at home before finishing on the road at MSU. Hopefully we can at least pick off 2 of these games to finish 11-7 in conference play. Though a monumental achievement by Paris in his second year, it would feel a bit disappointing, given where we sat a week ago.

This is a very opportune time for us to have a bit of a break with no midweek game this week. We just had a pretty intense stretch of basketball, so hopefully the team can reset and refocus this week and get their heads right for Saturday.

 

[CCUIrmo]

I think the next two games will be extremely important. They are both on the road but both winable games. We need to go 2-0 on next two games and after that it will most likely come down to the winner of our game against Florida for the 4th spot in SEC Tournament. Kentucky is unreliable and still has a couple of tough games and Florida still has another against Alabama and we have one against Tenn. Florida will win rest of their games (Mizz and Vandy). That makes Ole Miss and Texas AM extremely important so I hope this week off got our guys back into the mental side of things they had before last week.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I think the next two games will be extremely important. They are both on the road but both winable games. We need to go 2-0 on next two games and after that it will most likely come down to the winner of our game against Florida for the 4th spot in SEC Tournament. Kentucky is unreliable and still has a couple of tough games and Florida still has another against Alabama and we have one against Tenn. Florida will win rest of their games (Mizz and Vandy). That makes Ole Miss and Texas AM extremely important so I hope this week off got our guys back into the mental side of things they had before last week.

The next 2 games are winnable, but I'm not feeling super optimistic since they are road games. Combine that with us having just played our worst 2 games of the season in back-to-back games. It works out very well for us to have no midweek game this week. Hopefully Lamont can use that time to clear their heads and get them refocused. It feels like we're at a point where things could spiral.

Ole Miss feels like a must-win to stop the bleeding.

 

[CCUIrmo]

The next 2 games are winnable, but I'm not feeling super optimistic since they are road games. Combine that with us having just played our worst 2 games of the season in back-to-back games. It works out very well for us to have no midweek game this week. Hopefully Lamont can use that time to clear their heads and get them refocused. It feels like we're at a point where things could spiral.

Yep, as they say, we are at a crossroads. We can spiral and end up in the NIT or we can keep playing as we have most all year and end up as maybe a 6 seed in NCAAs and finish 4th or 5th in Conf. I really feel it is up to the players as to whether they want to play as they have been and been coached. All teams are getting tired now but its those who want to win that will.

 

[Blues man]

It's an interesting finish to the schedule for sure. On the one hand it's hard to feel good about it. On the other, I would imagine you would want the two toughest games at home and that could be called favorable. Man idk.

 

[18IsTheMan]

It's an interesting finish to the schedule for sure. On the one hand it's hard to feel good about it. On the other, I would imagine you would want the two toughest games at home and that could be called favorable. Man idk.

If we play like we have the last 2 games, I'm afraid it won't matter much. Sure hope they get their heads right.

 

[Blues man]

If we play like we have the last 2 games, I'm afraid it won't matter much. Sure hope they get their heads right.

Yeah I guess recent play is why I don't feel good about it. That said, on the bright side, if we can turn it around, those losses could be considered well timed lessons. So many ifs.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Yeah I guess recent play is why I don't feel good about it. That said, on the bright side, if we can turn it around, those losses could be considered well timed lessons. So many ifs.

True. Lamont has said you don't want to peak in January/February because nobody can play their best basketball for 2-3 months. In that vein, I would agree that our poor play and bad losses could be timed well. All just depends on how the team responds.

 

[CCUIrmo]

True. Lamont has said you don't want to peak in January/February because nobody can play their best basketball for 2-3 months. In that vein, I would agree that our poor play and bad losses could be timed well. All just depends on how the team responds.

They responded well after the first Georgia loss in which Lamont was NOT happy. I think he knows how to get their attention. My oldest daughter has a class with BJ and said the day after their first practice after Georgia loss he came in the room and sat down and said he couldnt hardly move and that coach had killed them at that practice. Lamont can get their attention.

 

[18IsTheMan]

They responded well after the first Georgia loss in which Lamont was NOT happy. I think he knows how to get their attention. My oldest daughter has a class with BJ and said the day after their first practice after Georgia loss he came in the room and sat down and said he couldnt hardly move and that coach had killed them at that practice. Lamont can get their attention.

This is what I'm hoping. Lamont is very cool and collected, but you could tell in his LSU postgame he was pretty peeved with our execution down the stretch. I would assume he's made good use of the bye this week.