Saw this on LSU's site:
Stringer fainted in practice prior to the Dec. 10 Boise State game and is still out and expected to undergo more tests throughout this coming week. He is not expected back until after the Christmas break at the earliest.Hope he gets better but it bodes well for MU with their leading scorer being out of the game.
And if you haven't seen this yet, Trent on MU:
http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27826&SPID=2166&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205348354&DB_OEM_ID=5200BATON ROUGE - LSU men's basketball Coach Trent Johnson met with the media Friday afternoon to discuss Thursday night's 66-59 win over UC Irvine and preview Monday's 8 p.m. contest against nationally-ranked Marquette in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Tickets for the game remain on sale at LSUtix.net and beginning at 6:30 p.m. on game night at the upper concourse ticket windows. The game will be televised to much of the country on Fox Sports Net and the radio broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network (New Country 100.7 FM The Tiger in Baton Rouge. LSU students get in free with valid ID. Tickets start at $10 for adults and $5 for youth (ages 3-12).
Here are some of Coach Johnson's comments from his media session on Friday:
Opening Statement...
"After reviewing the video tape from (Thursday) night, we will hopefully shoot the basketball a little better come Monday. We missed a lot of open shots, more than I can ever remember since I've been here. But, you know, Marquette is a very complete basketball team. What impresses you the most about them is that they're very, very aggressive. They're always in 'attack-mode'. There is a nucleus of about seven or eight guys who were probably aggressive and mentally tough at birth. So, it's a good challenge for us. We also need to be in a situation where we can really handle their press breakers. They'll run and jump, they'll come 1-1-3, they'll come 2-2-1 on the court. For the most part, there is going to be a lot of pressure. We need to be prepared to handle pressure. We need to be prepared to limit their transition opportunities."
On how gambling for steals could cost points versus Marquette...
"Well, you have to be solid. You have to be disciplined because they are a very mature senior-laden team. Their two best players have been around forever, and they obviously are a battle-tested group being in a conference like the BIG EAST playing some of those teams in those environments. You need to be smart. When you gamble out front, it puts a lot of pressure on your back line. We're in a situation where we probably have to be as good as we have been defensively all year. Even without Andre Stringer, we are going to try to use our size, like Eddie Ludwig and Jalen Courtney, to put those guys in certain situations. Hopefully, they can be successful."
On Marquette being a versatile team...
"Well, like I said earlier, they're complete, a very complete basketball team. Usually, when you are in the Top 10 or Top 15, you're a pretty good basketball team. The game plan for us is usually the same. We want to earn transition opportunities. We need to try to make this game a half-court game. We need to make good decisions and take good shots."
On what makes Marquette dangerous offensively...
"Again, complete. They are an 'attack-oriented' basketball team. Two of their players that are leading them in scoring are seniors. They're both All-American candidates. They're good basketball players. For this team, with the exception of three freshmen that we have, all of our guys have played teams of this caliber. They've seen what it looks like. They've seen what it feels like. Our concern is that we make sure that we go into this game and do what we're capable of. When they make their runs, whether its defense or offense, we need to stay poised and not get away from the game plan. It needs to be a half-court game for us to be successful."
On Andre Stringer's role off of the court...
"Well, Andre Stringer's demeanor has been great. He's not one to feel sorry for himself. Every time I've spoken with him, he has been upbeat. Obviously, he's hiding a lot because he likes to play, but for the most part he's a guy that's doing the best he can. He tells me, 'Coach, I'm controlling what I can control.' He has been very engaged on the bench throughout the course of the game from what I've seen. I've seen him watching tapes. Andre is a great kid. I don't anticipate him doing anything else but trying to help out his teammates while he's not playing."
On how playing Marquette will test the team's progress and growth...
"There is a nucleus of guys on this basketball team with the exception of a few freshmen who have played the caliber of this team. So, in terms of a measuring stick, there is no question. With this basketball team at this time in the year, yes this is a good measuring stick to find out where we are and how far we have grown."
On whether the team expects a bigger fan turnout at the Marquette game...
"I just know that our fan base seems to help our team play hard, play smart and win. For us, and for this team, and for every team I have coached, regardless who you play, where you play, when you play, it is competition. Shame on the players in that locker room if they treat Marquette any different than the team they played (Thursday). That is how you get good, and that is how Marquette has gotten to where they've gotten as a Top 10, Top 15 basketball team. Our fan base has been exceptional. As bad as we have been the last year and a half, they've been exceptional and have continued to come out and support us."
On the biggest surprise for the team so far...
"The biggest surprise for me is our inability to sustain defensive intensity versus the two teams that we lost to. The biggest surprise to me was what happened last night from start-to-finish. The biggest surprise to me is what happened against South Alabama coming off two neutral court wins. Those are the biggest surprises."
On playing down to teams lesser than Marquette...
"Well, unfortunately, that's what goes on a lot in athletics now. As much as I talk about it and as much as we work on it in terms of staying even keeled and understanding that this is competition, you have to compete regardless of who you play. Do I think these guys will be pumped and ready? Oh yes, no question, but that's a problem in itself. I can tell you what I addressed to them prior to going out. I know what it's like, I know what it feels like but we've got to get beyond that."
On shooting more in the previous days of practice...
"Well, the way we've been shooting the last two games, I don't think we're going to shoot at all because obviously that hasn't been working. We've shot the basketball more in the last three days than we have all year long. The key is continuing to stay aggressive, continuing to take good shots and don't think about it. Everybody understands their role. Everybody understands what a good shot for them is and what a bad shot for them is. Andre [Stringer] is not around, he was shooting the ball extremely well. He's got great range, but we don't need guys to come in and try to be Andre. We need guys to come in and do what they're capable of doing."
On guys having more time to practice since semester ended...
"There were a couple of guys in here earlier (Friday) morning doing what they're supposed to do. For the most part, I feel good about it knowing that we as coaches don't have to force it. There are some guys in here. Justin Hamilton is very diligent, and he has his routine. He's in here morning, day and night. Obviously Ralston Turner is in here. Anthony Hickey struggles at the free throw line so he gets in here and shoots free throws. Again, that's the advantage of having a great practice facility and great resources. It eliminates the excuse factor as far as not having a place to go shoot. Guys are in here doing what they have to do to get better."
On Andre being able to shoot...
"He's not doing anything, no physical activity. The only thing he does with a basketball is sit in a chair and dribble it. He's not released to do anything, period."
On Justin as the center...
"Justin is doing exactly what we expected of him. He has emerged as a leader on this team, very quiet but also very vocal at times. Forget points, rebounds and shooting percentage, it's the intangibles that he's doing. He's able to feed the ball and understand what we're doing offensively. He understands press breakers and those are the kinds of things that have impacts. He's our leading charge candidate, so he takes away the basket and creates new possessions for us. As I said, he's doing what we expected of him, and he is a key to what we're doing."
On the added minutes for Eddie and Jalen...
"This is giving Eddie [Ludwig] and Jalen [Courtney] more experience. Jalen especially, because Eddie was going to get his minutes, will add to our depth. Going into the year, we knew what we were going to have and now we don't have one guy. We'd like to think this is going to help us be deeper down the stretch."
