LSU BASKETBALL SET TO HIRE TRENT JOHNSON

[MU Chi_IL]

http://wgso.com/content/view/5818/40/

By Ken Trahan   
Wednesday, April 09 2008

WGSO has learned that LSU is set to hire Stanford’s Trent Johnson as its new head basketball coach. Johnson, a graduate of Boise State, spent the last four seasons at Stanford compiling an overall record of 81-48 with three NCAA tournament appearances and one NIT appearance. This past season, Johnson guided the Cardinal to the Sweet 16, beating Cornell and Marquette in the NCAA tournament before being eliminated by Texas. Prior to his stint at Stanford, Johnson served as the head coach at Nevada from 1999-2004, leading them to the Sweet 16 in 2004. Johnson will become the first ever African-American head coach in LSU men’s basketball history.

Johnson will succeed John Brady, who was dismissed in the middle of the 2007-2008 season. 

[77ncaachamps]

Heard about this yesterday.

Stanford must be abuzz as the # of candidates are getting slimmer. I think MU's going to set the standard this coaching carousel season and lots of schools will just promote their assistants, Stanford included.

Do you blame Trent? The twins are gone, you lose a lot of your ppg and rpg for next year, and LSU is a big state school. I'd do it...but he's going to have to turn the program around before UK does...

[groove]

Do you blame Trent? The twins are gone, you lose a lot of your ppg and rpg for next year, ...

You mean, he's been unsuccessful searching other trailer parks for another pair of twins?

[jce]

Heard about this yesterday.

Stanford must be abuzz as the # of candidates are getting slimmer.

Especially considering that Mike Montgomery just went to Cal.  I am sure that if both Stanford and Montgomery knew that *this* was going to happen, that they would have held off.

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

Was Johnson an alum of Stanford, or just a former assistant coach?

[nyg]

Johnson was in last year of contract (one more year to go), smart move on his part.  The suprise was that Anthony Grant wasn't mentioned for the LSU job. 

Maybe its Self to OSU, Gillespie to Kansas and then Grant to Kentucky.  Who knows.

[bma725]

Was Johnson an alum of Stanford, or just a former assistant coach?

Just an assistant.  He went to Boise State.  

[77ncaachamps]

Johnson was in last year of contract (one more year to go), smart move on his part.  The suprise was that Anthony Grant wasn't mentioned for the LSU job. 

Maybe its Self to OSU, Gillespie to Kansas and then Grant to Kentucky.  Who knows.

Are you kidding me? Self leaving for OSU? Who wants to live in Stillwater? Kansas will ALWAYS get their recruits. Self will get a raise, though modest, but the positives of KU outweigh any money OSU can throw out at a coach.

[MUsoxfan]

Johnson was in last year of contract (one more year to go), smart move on his part.  The suprise was that Anthony Grant wasn't mentioned for the LSU job. 

Maybe its Self to OSU, Gillespie to Kansas and then Grant to Kentucky.  Who knows.

Are you kidding me? Self leaving for OSU? Who wants to live in Stillwater? Kansas will ALWAYS get their recruits. Self will get a raise, though modest, but the positives of KU outweigh any money OSU can throw out at a coach.

The same guy that lived in Stillwater for many years and will get paid tens of millions of dollars to do it again.   He's as good as gone from KU

[jce]

Johnson was in last year of contract (one more year to go), smart move on his part.  The suprise was that Anthony Grant wasn't mentioned for the LSU job. 

Maybe its Self to OSU, Gillespie to Kansas and then Grant to Kentucky.  Who knows.

Are you kidding me? Self leaving for OSU? Who wants to live in Stillwater? Kansas will ALWAYS get their recruits. Self will get a raise, though modest, but the positives of KU outweigh any money OSU can throw out at a coach.

"Modest?"  Last I heard, he's looking at a $10 million signing bonus and a salary of $3.5 per year.  He makes less than half of that salary now.

Jon

[77ncaachamps]

Here's a nice article from the San Jose Mercury News that just rips right into the Pac-10's performance and looks forward to 08-09:

Pac-10 basketball: Projecting the 2008-09 conference race
By Jon Wilner
Thursday, April 10th, 2008 at 5:30 am

Tough to see the league being as good next season as it was this season, when it was one of the two or three best in the land.

Too many top talents are headed for the NBA, especially too many top big talents.

Of course, all that talent didn’t do the Pac-10 much good in what I thought was a very mediocre showing in the NCAA tournament.

Of the six teams that received bids, three lost in the first round, two lost (badly) in the Sweet 16 and one lost (badly) in the semifinals.

Frankly, if you claim to be the best league in the country, which the Pac-10 did, then advancing three to the Sweet 16 and one beyond is the least you should do.

Not much was expected (rightfully so) of Arizona and Oregon, and both went out quietly in the first round. But USC was a major disappointment losing its opener by double digits as a No. 6 seed.

And for Stanford, Washington State and UCLA to get KOed by a combined 56 points: Not very impressive.

As with my “Ridiculously early top-25 for 2008-09,” I reserve the right to adjust these projections based on who stays in school and who enters the draft.

What you’ll read here is based on my best guess at this point (and we’re 2.5 months from the stay-or-go deadline).

10. Oregon State: New Coach Craig Robinson will get far more PR for being Barack Obama’s brother-in-law than for winning games, because he won’t be winning very many for several years.

9. Oregon: Even the addition of big man recruit Chris Dunigan and the return of Tajuan Porter won’t save the Ducks from a second-tier finish. They lose too much production.

8. Stanford: Had the Cardinal sixth until the Trent Johnson news, because despite the hole in the middle I figured Lawrence Hill and Anthony Goods would play like they did in 2006-07. But without Johnson … well, good luck to the coach who has to deal with all those very loyal (to Johnson) seniors.

7. Washington: Most of the top players return, but in some cases (Justin Dentmon) I’m not sure that’s good news for the Huskies.

6. Washington State: Cougs return Taylor Rochestie, Aron Baynes and Daven Harmeling. But they lose so much (Low/Weaver/Cowgill) that I’m thinking the dropoff will be inevitable and significant. <<< SO WHY DIDN'T BENNETT LEAVE?!?

5. Cal: Ranking is based on Ryan Anderson returning, which I have been told is far from a sure thing (depends how he works out for the NBA scouts). If he does return, coupled with a “Montgomery bump,” Cal should finish in the top half. If he doesn’t, then we’re talking about seventh or eighth place.

4. Arizona: Ranking is based on Chase Budinger returning (also far from a sure thing) to join mega-recruit Brandon Jennings, who takes over for Jerryd Bayless, and talented big man Jordan Hill. But can Lute get these guys to play defense?

3. Arizona State: James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph are back to form the top inside-outside tandem in the conference, and Ty Abbott is very solid at the point. But how will the Sun Devils handle being one of the favorites?

2. USC: Even if McDonald’s All-American Demar DeRozan doesn’t match O.J. Mayo’s production, everyone else — Taj Gibson, Dwight Lewis, Daniel Hackett and Davon Jefferson — should be that much better. (Wouldn’t shock me if Jefferson turns pro.)And if the big men develop, look out.

1. UCLA: If Russell Westbrook returns, the Bruins are absolutely the team to beat. (That’s doubly so if Darren Collison comes back — no chance Kevin Love returns.)
If Westbrook leaves, then we could have ourselves a race. The incoming guards are first-rate talents, and Josh Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute are back. But the frontcourt must be retooled. You’re up, James Keefe.

http://www.mercextra.com/blogs/collegesports/2008/04/10/pac-10-basketball-projecting-the-2009-race/