Growing up isn’t hard to do. Maturing though, is another matter.
The LSU men’s basketball team has done both in the past year.
The Tigers already hit a downward spiral this time last season. Senior forward Jaime Lloreda left the team high and dry down the stretch of the regular season, and LSU lost seven of its last eight games. Without his presence, the NCAA selection committee left the Tigers out of the tournament.
LSU went to the National Invitational Tournament and lost in the first round at Oklahoma, 70-61.
Many people blamed LSU coach John Brady for the downfall. Many thought the 2004-05 campaign might be his last stand in Baton Rouge.
The outlook was dim in late December and early January when the Tigers lost four of their five contests away from the PMAC. LSU’s record was 6-5 and 0-1 in Southeastern Conference play after being shellacked at Alabama 73-58.
Then something strange happened. The Tigers reeled off three straight wins, coupled with back-to-back overtime wins over Ohio State (113-101 2OT) and Arkansas (66-63). Both of those games could have gone the other way, but the Tigers stuck together.
I waited for the team to collapse and go through its annual slump as it did the previous two seasons. But LSU won 13 of its last 16 games to clinch a share of the SEC Western Division title with a 12-4 conference mark.
This team actually plays as a unit. It’s much different than any of Brady’s previous squads.
“I called our team in December immature and insecure,” Brady said after Saturday’s 81-69 win over Vanderbilt. “It wasn’t being ugly. It’s just the way it was. We were concerned about a lot of things that weren’t related to winning games. We stayed the course and figured it out. Now we’re an unselfish team.”
Last season Jaime Lloreda was the glue that held the Tigers together. The previous year it was Ronald Dupree. The Tigers had other contributors but used their superstar as a crutch.
Even during the Sweet 16 run the Tigers had in the 2000 campaign, Stromile Swift was the make-or-break player. Brady’s teams finished dead last in the SEC West two years before Swift joined the team — albeit those years had a cloud of NCAA probation over them. But after Swift left, the team finished last in the West again.
Brady also revealed something about himself, knowingly or unknowingly, after the season finale Saturday. He’s turned over a new leaf. He’s more mature and more secure this season.
“We’ve been extremely positive with this group,” Brady said. “We’ve been encouraging with this team. I haven’t challenged this team as much as I have some in the past because this collection of personalities didn’t respond and weren’t going to respond to that. I’ve been extremely positive and encouraging with this team.”
Brady finally realized players don’t respond to yelling. Instead, he’s teaching them, looking at tape and fixing things technically. He has his share of talented players. They were playing hard but just weren’t getting the point.
The idea that a team reflects its coach also applies here. Maybe one of the greatest examples of this is the change in Tack Minor.
In many ways, Minor and Brady mirror each other. Both have great talent. But their personalities draw attention to themselves — positively and negatively.
His freshman year, Minor would pull up from 30 feet and launch a low-percentage shot. He shot the ball every time he got it. He had a negative assist-turnover ratio. His emotion on the court gave him a bad image.
Now Minor looks to include others in the game. A bad attitude still rears its head now and then, but there’s definitely a point guard in the making.
Brady also knows the Xs and Os of basketball but used to let his temper get the best of him. He was more worried about arguing a call with referees than coaching his team. He also reverts back to these practices, but sparingly.
Brady doesn’t throw his arms in the air when calls don’t go his way now. He grimaces and coaches through it. I’m sure the people at Bank One also are happy they don’t have as many dents in their sign now; Brady used to kick it all the time.
Maybe winning has a lot to do with maturity. But Brady and Minor both kept their calm through the storms earlier this season. The two most aggressive personalities were able to keep themselves within that team concept.
After Saturday’s win, those two A-type personalities came together again and embraced each other, celebrating LSU’s season. They jumped up-and-down like little kids.
With March Madness starting at the SEC Tournament this week, we’ll see if the Tigers can keep it together again. Brady’s job is safe for another season. But postseason will bring out the team’s true character.