LSU Tigers
SEC (19-12, 9-9)
LSU quietly put together a pretty good season in SEC play. The problem was a soft non-conference schedule and they only had two opportunities to pull off quality non-conference wins, against Boise State and Marquette. The Tigers lost both of those contests. However, first year Coach Johnny Jones has done a very good job keeping his young team consistent throughout the season. This may not be a team with the talent to beat some teams, but they will not often lose to teams they should beat; and that says a lot about a young team.
Big Wins: 1/30 Missouri (73-70), 2/23 Alabama (97-94), 3/06 at Texas A&M (68-57)
Bad Losses: 1/09 at Auburn (63-68), 1/16 South Carolina (73-82), 1/19 at Georgia (58-67)
Coach: Johnny Jones (1 season at LSU)
Why They Can Surprise:
The Tigers virtually have three point guards in Anthony Hickey, Andre Stringer and Charles Carmouche. While the team as a whole commits too many turnovers, it is nice to have a couple capable ball handlers on the floor at all times. Those three, most notably Hickey, also do a lot of work on the defensive end. The Tigers average 9.2 steals per game, ranking 14th in the nation. But Coach Jones could not put three point guards on the floor if all they could do is pass and play defense. Hickey will use his explosiveness to get to the basket and is always a threat to knock down the long ball. Stringer is pretty much nothing but a shooter, but he can shoot. Carmouche, at 6-4, has the size to finish above the rim and it is Carmouche’s size that allows the Tigers to run three or four guards.
Why They Can Disappoint:
While Carmouche does help out on the glass, LSU struggles in the rebounding department. And that is a bit surprising considering Johnny O’Bryant is one of the best big men in the SEC. O’Bryant is the best scorer on the team and a double-double threat every time he steps on the floor. Andrew Del Piero, at 7-3, adds a lot more size to the lineup, but he is not a particularly strong rebounder. He will just block a few shots and alter countless others. Shavon Coleman is a good option and a strong rebounder, but O’Bryant and Coleman can only do so much and there are not any other options. If the Tigers are losing the battle on the glass, they must create turnovers in order to make a serious tournament run.
Probable Starters:
Anthony Hickey, Sophomore, Guard, 11.2 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.9 spg
Andre Stringer, Junior, Guard, 10.4 ppg, 2.1 apg
Charles Carmouche, Senior, Guard, 10.7 ppg, 3.6 apg
Johnny O’Bryant, Sophomore, Forward, 13.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg
Andrew Del Piero, Senior, Center, 4.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Shavon Coleman, Junior, Forward, 10.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg
Shane Hammink, Freshman, Forward, 2.1ppg, 1.7 rpg
Malik Morgan, Freshman, Guard, 5.3 ppg, 1.3 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.3 (82nd in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.8 (233, 12)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.1 (187, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.3 (153, 10)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.4 (56, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.0 (114, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 64.2 (310, 13)
Rebound Margin: 0.6 (160, 9)
Assists Per Game: 14.5 (68, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.8 (278, 12)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 NIT First Round loss to Oregon
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Butler
2009 NCAA Round of 32 loss to North Carolina
2006 NCAA Round of 64 win over Iona
2006 NCAA Round of 32 win over Texas A&M
2006 NCAA Regional semifinal win over Duke
2006 NCAA Regional final win over Texas
2006 NCAA National semifinal loss to UCLA
2005 NCAA Round of 64 loss to UAB
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
