It could happen
As bad as the LSU men's basketball team has looked this season, it could still make the NCAA Tournament. Stranger things have happened.
LSU is in dead last in the Southeastern Conference West at the moment at 3-7. But it is only two games out of first place, which is amazing. Ole Miss, which LSU has already beaten, is tied for first with Alabama at 5-5. LSU had Alabama beat in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center but blew it. LSU travels to Ole Miss Wednesday and needs a win to keep its slim hopes alive and have a chance to finish 7-9 in the league.
A 7-9 team may win the West this season, but this season could mark the first time since realignment that the West champ does not go to the NCAA Tournament and five East teams go.
If NCAA bids went out today, I would put Alabama in at 18-6 but no one else from the West.
And I'd put four or five from the East in the dance.
To finish 7-9 in the league, LSU has to beat Ole Miss on Wednesday, Mississippi State at home Saturday, Auburn in Auburn on Feb. 28 and the home finale against South Carolina. I can't see LSU beating No. 1 Florida in Baton Rouge on Feb. 24 and I can't see the Tigers winning at Kentucky on Feb. 20. Again, LSU has already defeated Ole Miss and it already beat Auburn. It played well in spots in its loss at Mississippi State as well.
If the Tigers lose the next two, though, it could play South Carolina for the first-round draft choice.
Coach John Brady has pulled out NCAA Tournament bids in similar seasons. He was 3-8 in the 2002-03 season and finished 8-8, won two in the SEC Tournament and got in. He also got a decent placement in the tournament with a game in nearby Birmingham against Purdue, even though he got killed in that game.
LSU obviously will have to advance in the SEC Tournament this season to get in the NCAA Tournament. What helped LSU in 2002-03 was a win over No. 1 Arizona. What could help LSU this year is the win over Texas A&M, which was No. 6 at the time on Dec. 5 and was No. 6 last week. LSU also has a strong nonconference schedule, which will help.
In order to start winning consistently and have a chance, it would help if the Tigers played like it mattered. At times, they don't seem to have much of a sense of urgency. They need to listen to their coach, too. He is a solid coach and proven. Glen Davis, in particular, needs to listen to his coach and not argue with him on the bench as he did on Saturday.
Davis is a great player, but he doesn't know the game. He also needs to quit shooting from the top of the key.
LSU is in dead last in the Southeastern Conference West at the moment at 3-7. But it is only two games out of first place, which is amazing. Ole Miss, which LSU has already beaten, is tied for first with Alabama at 5-5. LSU had Alabama beat in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center but blew it. LSU travels to Ole Miss Wednesday and needs a win to keep its slim hopes alive and have a chance to finish 7-9 in the league.
A 7-9 team may win the West this season, but this season could mark the first time since realignment that the West champ does not go to the NCAA Tournament and five East teams go.
If NCAA bids went out today, I would put Alabama in at 18-6 but no one else from the West.
And I'd put four or five from the East in the dance.
To finish 7-9 in the league, LSU has to beat Ole Miss on Wednesday, Mississippi State at home Saturday, Auburn in Auburn on Feb. 28 and the home finale against South Carolina. I can't see LSU beating No. 1 Florida in Baton Rouge on Feb. 24 and I can't see the Tigers winning at Kentucky on Feb. 20. Again, LSU has already defeated Ole Miss and it already beat Auburn. It played well in spots in its loss at Mississippi State as well.
If the Tigers lose the next two, though, it could play South Carolina for the first-round draft choice.
Coach John Brady has pulled out NCAA Tournament bids in similar seasons. He was 3-8 in the 2002-03 season and finished 8-8, won two in the SEC Tournament and got in. He also got a decent placement in the tournament with a game in nearby Birmingham against Purdue, even though he got killed in that game.
LSU obviously will have to advance in the SEC Tournament this season to get in the NCAA Tournament. What helped LSU in 2002-03 was a win over No. 1 Arizona. What could help LSU this year is the win over Texas A&M, which was No. 6 at the time on Dec. 5 and was No. 6 last week. LSU also has a strong nonconference schedule, which will help.
In order to start winning consistently and have a chance, it would help if the Tigers played like it mattered. At times, they don't seem to have much of a sense of urgency. They need to listen to their coach, too. He is a solid coach and proven. Glen Davis, in particular, needs to listen to his coach and not argue with him on the bench as he did on Saturday.
Davis is a great player, but he doesn't know the game. He also needs to quit shooting from the top of the key.
posted by Glenn Guilbeau at 9:44 AM
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