Head coach John Brady e-mailed the entire LSU campus Tuesday, promoting the team and thanking the student body for its support. But only a few were on hand to witness the Tigers beat South Carolina 71-58 Wednesday night.
After five-consecutive losses in the Southeastern Conference, the LSU basketball team obtained its second win in conference play in front of the smallest crowd of any SEC basketball game this season — 4,548 fans.
The Tigers are now 2-6 in the SEC and are in last place in the West.
“If any team ever needed a win, it was our team,” Brady said following the game.
Brady has been the recipient of much criticism from the media and fans during the Tigers losing streak. And after the game, a reporter asked him, “Can you breathe a little easier now?”
Brady responded.
“Yeah. You know, it’s all about the next game. You know, you beat Arizona and Mississippi State, you lose three or four games everybody thinks you’re dog meat. So it’s all about the next game.”
“It’s just the public, they change so quick. Because that’s just the nature of it. You could be a bad coach and win games, and they think you’re good. You can be a good coach and lose games, and they think you’re bad. They don’t know. So it’s all about the next game.”
“But let me tell you the most important thing about all of this — the players on the LSU basketball team. That’s the most important thing. It’s not about me, it’s not about any of [the media], it’s about those players that play for LSU.”
“And if I were concerned about the LSU basketball team and those players, if I were a fan or a writer or supporter, I would support them all I could to help them play the best they could possibly play. That’s what I would do if I cared about LSU and its team.”
“When the season is over, if you don’t like the guy in charge, you can take shots all you want. I stand on my own. But don’t hurt those players and their chance to do the best they can by being critical when criticism is not really necessary. That would be my approach. That would be my plea. Do it for the players. Support the players. Be supportive, not divisive.”
The Tigers next home game is 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, against Vanderbilt.