OT: NIT Game Between LSU-ULL Gets Extremely Salty

Submitted by jimmyshi03 on

The NIT game between LSU and Louisiana apparently got extremely salty, including Will Wade calling late timeouts with a lead. Story gets into it further but it looks like it comes down to LSU refusing to schedule this one particular in-state school. Love it when stuff gets bitter like this, elsewhere. I recall something similar recently between Chris Mack and Mick Cronin.  

1VaBlue1

March 15th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^

HAHAHAHAAAA!!!  That was beautiful!!  I'm not a fan of LSU, but I have to give thier coach credit here.  The ULL coach looks like an idiot - if one of his players had said that pre-game, that kid would have been read the riot act...

funkywolve

March 15th, 2018 at 8:56 PM ^

Since there is such a short turnaround from the tourney announcement to the first games, they usually have teams playing that are in close proximity. Since you have a mix of power 5 teams and mid major teams, they often get match up's ala LSU/Louisiana. You just dont usually get the saltiness that occured last nigbt.

LSAClassOf2000

March 15th, 2018 at 3:33 PM ^

“A lot of times you get into the NIT, and the SEC teams that finished tied for ninth – whatever they did – are not very interested in playing at this stage of the year. But they’ll be interested, because it’s a big step for them. They’ve not been very good. We’ve had a better RPI and team than them the last couple of years in the state.”

HA! I love it, and it got better as the article went on too.

Being at this game could have been extremely entertaining. 

NittanyFan

March 15th, 2018 at 5:53 PM ^

they played zero in-state teams and one true road game.

That kind of OOC schedule isn't that unusual amongst Power 5 teams, of course.

I will admit ... it annoys me when the big schools can't/won't play in-state teams in basketball OOC.  Your schedule doesn't need to exclusively be games like that - but teams should make an effort to play a couple.  Michigan played Detroit and CMU --- LSU can afford to play a ULL and another of the 10-ish D-1 teams in the state.  ULL was actually good this year - they would have helped LSU's RPI.

I guess I sort of sympathize with the U-La-La coach on this one. 

NittanyFan

March 15th, 2018 at 8:15 PM ^

Let the local in-states have their shot.   And even if they win: the Power school is STILL the "King of the Hill" in the long-term.

It should help with attendance too.  LSU basketball isn't selling out most nights.  The ULL fans which would show up for an OOC game would bring the attendance number larger vs. LSU's game with, say, UNC-Wilmington.

I would reserve it to the locals who generally have middle-to-above RPIs.  If someone is an RPI anchor (say, Nicholls State for LSU), don't schedule those folk.

NittanyFan

March 15th, 2018 at 9:17 PM ^

Kansas and K-State not playing Wichita State --- at this point, that's ridiculous.  

K-State even goes so far as to schedule an annual game in Wichita (the same arena as the upcoming U-M game), but it's always against someone other than the Shockers (Tulsa this year).