Preview: LA Tech vs. North Texas

[News_Bot]

A new article has been posted on www.latechsports.com:



Louisiana Tech is set to play a pair of conference home games this week, starting on Thursday night against North Texas.

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Discuss it here.

[FriscoDawg]

North Texas wins 72-62.

Can't beat a team with a big man like Usman until Tech gets more size.

[FriscoDawg]

Other C-USA scores

@MT 74 FAU 70 final
@Charlotte 68 WKU 64 final/OT
UTSA 84 @Rice 79 final
UAB 79 @UTEP 66 final

FAU 14-2
NT 13-3
UAB 10-6
MT 9-7
Rice 7-8
FIU 7-8
Charlotte 6-9
WKU 6-9
Tech 6-9
UTEP 5-10
UTSA 2-14

[revf]

Very real possibility this team finishes with an overall losing record.

Would be our first losing record since Rupp days.

Hope Dr. Wood knows what he’s doing, because I ain’t seeing it yet.

[FriscoDawg]

Very real possibility this team finishes with an overall losing record.

Would be our first losing record since Rupp days.

Hope Dr. Wood knows what he’s doing, because I ain’t seeing it yet.

Based on the recent attrition, you have to wonder how discipline was handled (or wasn't) as Konkol plotted his escape. Very unusual to have two players who had gotten significant playing time over multiple years get the "three strikes and you're out" treatment in this short a period of time. Would at least be more understandable if the players weren't getting playing time.

Lots of opportunity to pull in talent through the portal and signings.

Saturday is just about a must-win game. Otherwise, I can see 5 more losses before Frisco.

[revf]

Based on the recent attrition, you have to wonder how discipline was handled (or wasn't) as Konkol plotted his escape. Very unusual to have two players who had gotten significant playing time over multiple years get the "three strikes and you're out" treatment in this short a period of time. Would at least be more understandable if the players weren't getting playing time.

Lots of opportunity to pull in talent through the portal and signings.

Saturday is just about a must-win game. Otherwise, I can see 5 more losses before Frisco.

Didn’t Hester recruit most of these players? Including Cobe?

[FriscoDawg]

Didn’t Hester recruit most of these players? Including Cobe?

Several of them for sure. Makes what has gone on even more unusual.

[Dwayne From Minden]

Several of them for sure. Makes what has gone on even more unusual.

I don't see any connection/communication between the staff and players like the prior two HC coaches had -

It's almost as if they tune him out - white noise

I guess if I was being blamed for everything going wrong, I'd probably do the same thing

[HogDawg]

Very real possibility this team finishes with an overall losing record.

Would be our first losing record since Rupp days.

Hope Dr. Wood knows what he’s doing, because I ain’t seeing it yet.

If LA Tech doesn't start winning at something soon, I think Dr Woods should find himself on the shot clock.

[Dwayne From Minden]

If LA Tech doesn't start winning at something soon, I think Dr Woods should find himself on the shot clock.

Yep -

[dawg80]

Dr Wood is an empty suit.

[HogDawg]

Dr Wood is an empty suit.

I think Wood --who's now been on the job 28 months-- was more of a "Diversity" hire than anything. He looks great on paper and I think we would all agree that it's good to have "diversified" leadership and thinking at the top of any college athletics organization. Don't get me wrong, he had a pretty nice resume when LA Tech hired him, so I don't blame Tech officials for making the hire. But, the LA Tech job may be too much for him. Louisiana Tech isn't just another FBS school, where someone with limited skills can hide in a job and wait for a better job to come along (see Tommy McClelland). At a school with limited resources like Tech, an AD has to exhibit unique leadership and business skills. Sometimes that person has to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty. I'm not sure Wood fits that personality.

For the record, I have no problem with making a diversity hire, as long as the person being hired knows what he or she is doing. But so far, Eric Wood hasn't lit up the scoreboard. He's starving for wins in most sports. Wood really hasn't had much go right since taking the helm in Oct of 2020. While other CUSA AD's were planning and conspiring to leave CUSA in some form or fashion, Wood was essentially blind-sided by the AAC expansion announcements made in the fall of 2021. He had no Plan A (moving Tech to the AAC) or "Plan B" (moving Tech to the Sunbelt) at all. He's also watched our football program tank on his watch, and now our men's and women's basketball programs are steadily falling from grace. IMO, this man needs a good year in 2023-24.