LSU looking to make a leap

The Fighting LSU Tigers have a long tradition of having some very talented players and, at the very least, competitive teams. In fact, LSU had 10 straight NCAA appearances in the 1980s and '90s under Dale Brown, and when John Brady took his 1999-2000 team to the Sweet 16, it began a run of six postseason appearances in seven seasons, with three NCAA tournament appearances. With players like Shaq, Maravich, Chris Jackson, Brandon Bass and Marcus Thornton, there is always an LSU guy or two in the NBA as well.

Things have been different the past few seasons, however. Trent Johnson led LSU to 27 wins in his first season, but his Tigers had just 22 wins in the last two combined. The question is, when will they be able to turn it around? And is Johnson the man to get the job done? We could get the answers sooner than expected.

To read Doug Gottlieb's full take on LSU, become an ESPN Insider today.

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