2000...2006

Men's basketball coach John Brady is using a familiar formula in his second go-round in the Sweet 16.

After a six-year hiatus Brady and the LSU Tigers are returning to the Sweet 16.

Brady said his 2006 team does resemble the last team he took to the regional semi-finals.

"We have a good defender in Garrett [Temple], and Lamont Roland was an outstanding defender. Jabari [Smith] and Stromile [Swift] compare to Tyrus [Thomas] and Glen [Davis], so the teams are similar in a lot of ways, they really are."

In 2000 Brady won his first Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year award, and he won his second this season. Swift won the SEC Player of the Year in 2000 just as Davis has this season. Point guard Torris Bright won the SEC Freshman of the Year award in 2000. Thomas won the award this season.

Collis Temple III was a freshman on the 2000 team whose run ended against Wisconsin in Albuquerque, N.M. Temple said this year's big men are the reason this season's team has the edge on the 2000 Tigers.

"Overall I think they probably have a better team," Temple said. "They got a dominant inside force - two guys that are going to play in the NBA. I think Glen and Tyrus are better than Jabari and Stromile, as good as they were."

The inside tandem of Smith and Swift accounted for 28 points per game during the Tigers 2000 run. Davis and Thomas are scoring 30 points per game combined this season.

Brady said his 2000 squad did have an advantage from behind the arc.

"The biggest difference I would say is probably the team in 2000 may have shot the ball better from the perimeter than this one," Brady said. "Brian Beshara was a nice 3-point shooter, Torris Bright was pretty good and Lamont Roland was adequate."

LSU's main 3-point threat this season is the school's all-time leader Darrel Mitchell. Mitchell has shot 40 percent from the 3-point line this season, and he has made 80 from behind the arc.

Temple said Mitchell helps the Tigers have a threat from anywhere on the floor.

"From a backcourt standpoint , they have a guy who can make shots from anywhere," Temple said.

Temple did say that the 2000 squad had a stronger bench with forward Jermaine Williams, and he and fellow guard Ronald Dupree came off the bench.

"We had more depth coming off the bench," Temple said. "Ben [Voogd] is good, but we had scoring coming off the bench."

Temple said Brady himself has admitted he has grown and changed in the six years since his first NCAA tournament appearance.

"I've heard him say he's a lot better coach now than he was then," Temple said. "He's mellowed out, and he's learned how to relate to players more."

Contact Keith Claverie at kclaverie@lsureveille.com