re: Do we have a final 4 quality basketball team next year?

We did this year!

Games we Lost but should have won this past season:
Clemson, Missouri, Texas A&M (x2), Auburn, Kentucky, and Auburn in SEC Tourney

That easily puts us at 29-4 Overall, 17-1 in SEC with a win over UK and another game added on after we beat AU.

Yes we lost those games but they weren't blowouts.

Clemson - We were winning most of the game and blew the lead in the final 90 seconds.

Missouri - Played terrible in second half and in OT. Had a 3 point lead and every single time they stretched it out, Missouri did something to fight its way back to a tie or lead. LSU could not finish them off and it ended up costing them a win they should have gotten from a struggling Missouri team.

Texas A&M (1) - Up 8 in second half, failed to make a shot for three days. Went cold and suffered a loss when they should have finished this one out for a W.

Texas A&M (2) - Up by 13 in secon half, just could not finish this one either!

Auburn - Close game from start to finish but LSU should have won at home against a bad AU team.

Kentucky - We trailed 18 with 10 minutes to go and came back to take a six point lead. It was the best basketball they played this season and showed that they could beat anyone in the country.

Auburn (SEC Tourney) - Up 8 with less than 3 minutes to play...

NC State (NCAA Tourney) - Up 16 in second half, did not make a FG in the final 10 minutes of the game! WOW! (We deserved to lose this one actually)

But my point is simple, this team gets a little luck and plays a little better, they end up a 2-3 NCAA tourney seed and who knows.