Just about 20 months ago, LSU coach John Brady was a hero in Baton Rouge. His Tigers were in the midst of an improbable Final Four run - courtesy of Tyrus Thomas and Glen "Big Baby" Davis.

Now Brady is fighting for his job.

The LSU head man was smart enough to ink a five-year, $5 million deal after the Tigers were knocked off by UCLA in the national semifinals two seasons ago.

One year can go a long way - especially in the wallet.

If you remove the Final Four from the equation, Brady has a pair of NCAA first-round exits, a pair of NIT appearances and two seasons in which there was no postseason at all since 2000.

It's gotten downright ugly in Baton Rouge this year. The embarrassing loss at Villanova in which the Tigers blew a 21-point lead late in the second half was one thing, but getting blown out by 20 points at Wichita State (this is a rebuilding Shockers team) last night was a statement-making loss.

"We were deer in the headlights," Tigers coach John Brady said in the postgame news conference.

This wasn't exactly North Carolina or Memphis. It was Wichita State - a team with a quality tactician in Shockers head man Gregg Marshall, but one with average talent.

I realize that Brady is without arguably his top player, Tasmin Mitchell, but this team still isn't an NCAA tournament team even if Mitchell, the one key holdover from the Final Four team, is healthy.

The Tigers are 6-4 and haven't beaten a legitimate postseason team yet. They barely got past Division 2 Chaminade out in the Maui Classic last month. A year ago, LSU finished 17-15 and probably wouldn't even have earned an invitation to this new joke of a postseason tournament that is starting up soon.

The talent level in Baton Rouge just isn't what it's been - or maybe the players have already given up on their coach.

Maybe it's a combination of the two.

LSU can't shoot the ball, but what's more glaring is that the Tigers got decimated on the glass, 50-31, by a non-athletic Wichita State frontline that is about as far from intimidating as it gets.

Brady has made a living out of keeping the elite in-state guys home (Brandon Bass, Thomas, Davis), but he swung and missed on the nation's consensus No. 1 player, Greg Monroe, who chose Georgetown over his home-state Tigers a couple months ago.

If Brady keeps swinging and missing, he's going to be out.

CARDINAL RULE

Trent Johnson's decision to play an exhibition game on Sunday following a two-break break for finals made him look like a genius. The return of Brook Lopez didn't hurt, either.

Lopez scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds in just 19 minutes as Stanford blew out Santa Clara, 74-48.

Lopez had missed the first nine games due to, believe it or not, academics.

The Cardinal avenged a 16-point loss to Santa Clara last season with the win and Johnson's team is now 9-1.

The Cardinal had lost all three of its games following the lengthy break for finals in Johnson's tenure, so he opted to play an exhibition game on Sunday in an effort to shake off some of the rust.

Wednesday's Notables:

- Florida freshman Nick Calathes had another impressive performance and the Gators versatile guard is putting up terrific numbers in the last five Gators wins - 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

- Arizona big man Jordan Hill may have played his best game since arriving in Tucson. The sophomore went for 16 points and 19 rebounds in a win at UNLV. The Wildcats won despite only getting a total of 14 points from Chase Budinger and Jerryd Bayless.

- Matt Painter's Purdue team is young and will have its ups and downs. Want evidence? After beating Louisville this past weekend, the Boilermakers lost to Wofford, 69-66, last night in West Lafayette.

- Providence starting point guard Sharaud Curry made his season debut last night in a 94-89 win against Sacred Heart. Curry played nine minutes and had 3 points and 3 assists. Weyinmi Efejuku led the Friars with 21 points and 10 boards.

- Baylor's comeback win at South Carolina last night snapped a 25-game road losing streak by the Bears, which was a Big 12 record. It was Baylor's first true road win since a 73-72 victory at Purdue on Dec. 30, 2004. Freshman LaceDarius Dunn scored 24 points and hit six 3-pointers in last night's win.