In short answer, no. Wait, can that be my answer? Or money? Think they are both interchangeable. But let’s piggy back off of Colin Cowherd and expand on his video. Cowherd is no stranger to controversy. He’s known for speaking his mind and having sometimes, an unpopular opinion, but this time, I think Cowherd hit it on the money.
“When Ben Simmons went to LSU, he was bigger than the program.” – @ColinCowherd. #HerdHerehttps://t.co/s7IivKaTCV
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 14, 2016
Ben Simmons is understandably a hot takes. No one knows what to make of the disaster at LSU and not for him, but for the program. Initially, I was wondering what made Simmons commit to LSU. They aren’t particularly known for basketball, Shaq and Pistol Pete are an exception among few, and their coach wasn’t the most experienced in teaching players of Simmons caliber. So what was it? While we may never know the answer, we can decipher that LSU bit off more than they could chew with Simmons and in the process embarrassed the program, the coach and the school. Simmons is meant for your Coach K’s and John Calipari’s not John Jones who is only in his 4th year at LSU.
Simmons talent overshadowed players who possibly felt disregarded by the media and a coach who wasn’t ready for the national attention to showcase his lack of coaching skills. Now while that is a personal observation, you can’t deny that Simmons at LSU gave them a spotlight they weren’t ready for and brought to light their weaknesses. A perfect example you ask? LSU only scored 38 points against Texas A&M, but what was the discussion for the media? Not LSU’s poor performance, but Ben Simmons record play of having his 23rd double-double. That headline told you all you need to know. I know for some the wonder isn’t just his basketball skills, but his commitment to the program, his character and most importantly, his schooling. It has been reported that Ben Simmons GPA is below the standard 2.0 requirement and it even resulted in him being benched, but let’s remove the dramatics here and look at Simmons for what he is. Simmons never went to LSU to be a student, it was a requirement by the NBA.
Athletes are being praised way too early these days. Before they hit HS they are broadcasted on social media and sporting news about their miraculous play, fueling their hopes of bringing their families millions. We have contributed to this materialist society, and the result are kids looking forward to being the next millionaire than holding a diploma. School has taken the back seat and the promises of riches are more important. Also with schools allowing student athletes to work on their degrees AFTER being drafted, who wouldn’t think “Lets knock this year out and worry about this later”? When you’re prepped for the big leagues like Simmons has, kind of hard to change that mindset. Nothing is wrong with Simmons knowing he’s a star. Alright, so he doesn’t have the jumpshot, the defense seems a little weak at times, and his character could even be called into question, and I’m going to play devils advocate, do we blame the media for the hype, John Jones and LSU, or him? What about a little of all 3? For an entire year we saw his face, I honestly don’t think I’ve seen LSU basketball on so much during an NCAA season.
Since his senior year in HS, media has been his best friend and even created the storyline of him being “The Next Lebron James”, who wouldn’t milk that? Second point, John Jones and his crew never seemed to be able to coach this team. They lacked the ability to find consistency, provide balance or even gel them together. No one seemed on one accord. Lastly, do we blame Ben? He’s a star. He has the makings of one and he holds himself as one. Luckily, there hasn’t been reports of him being a jerk or ill towards any of his teammates. I don’t think we can blame the kid for something thats out of his control, attention was brought to him and he rose to it. Play the game or be played.
LSU isn’t going to play in any postseason tournaments and it’s probably the best decision they made all year. Continuing this season before fixing your program would’ve been a huge mistake and continuance in showcasing their lack of skills and well, Ben Simmons can finally end his tenure and prepare for his NBA career. Its been recently reported that he’s signed to Lebron’s Agency. No surprise there. So, what’s next for LSU? Do they fire Jones? How can they reconstruct their program? All those questions and more are up the LSU athletic department.