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Preview: LSU vs Oklahoma Saturday 4pm PMAC/ESPN GOLD GAME

Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:37 pm
Posted by LSUButt
Lowcountry
Member since Jan 2006
14928 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:37 pm
Just for reference, this is my opinion. Many differ, but this is how I see things. Also, this will be very...very long.

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LSU vs OU Hype Trailer

Projected Lineups:
LSU:

F Craig Victor
F Ben Simmons
G Keith Hornsby
G Tim Quarterman
G Jalyn Patterson

Oklahoma:
F Ryan Spangler
F Khadeem Lattin
G Isaiah Cousins
G Jordan Woodard
G Buddy Hield
Key Reserves:
Dante Bufor
Dinjiyl Walker
Akolda Manyang

Lineup Broken Down:

00 Ryan Spangler Senior 6'8 234 10.7ppg, 9.7rpg, 54.6% from 2, 38.5% from 3, 66.7% from the line. He averages a little less than 3 3-point attempts per game, but he's certainly capable of knocking down some open shots. Athletically you won't be impressed, but he's sneaky. He's the type of guy that does something that you really didn't think he could do. Part of that is also because he's super gritty, very smart, and will hustle every second he is in. Terrible tattoos. Averages 33.1 minute.

12 Khadeem Lattin Sophomore 6'9 208 6.3ppg, 6.4rpg, 2.6bpg, 51% from the line. Very very athletic, but not a good offensive game. He and Spangler both do a good job getting easy buckets from offensive rebounds. Lattin's calling card is defense. LSU fans, think of Jordan Mickey with a little less offense. The guy can block shots with the best of them. His grandfather is David Lattin who played for Texas Western during their famous championship year. Averages 22 minutes

11 Isaiah Cousins 6'4 200 13.1ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.5apg, 42.7% FG%, 44.9% from 3. Very strange when a player shoots better from 3 than from 2, but they have a couple of those players. He will shoot about 4 3-point attempts per game. He is 5th in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting percentage. Cousins is very athletic and can get to the rim pretty easily. However, he only shoots FT's at 60%. Averages 32.4 minutes

10 Jordan Woodard Junior 6'0 187 14.9ppg, 3.4rpg, 3.9apg, 46.2% FG%, 54.4% from 3. He is #1 in the Big 12 in 3P%. In the past, Woodard was a pretty poor shooter, but he is just en fuego this year. Nearly half his shots are 3's and he averages about 5 attempts per game. He will and can facilitate, but he's not your normal PG. Defensively he has very quick hands and averages 1.7stl per game. Averages 30.3 minutes

24 Buddy Hield 6'4 214 25.9ppg, 5.8rpg, 2.3apg, 53% FG%, 52.3% from 3. Good ole Buddy Love. He's taken the college basketball world by storm this year. Last year he was Big 12 POY, but came back as a Senior. One of his knocks was that he takes many contested shots and sometimes just throws it up. Coming into the season, Buddy was shooting a solid 35% from 3. But he has absolutely been unstoppable this year. He also has increased his FT% from 82% to 90%. He also plays tremendous defense. His only downfalls are his shot selections (which if they go in they're not bad shots), and he turns the ball over nearly 3 times a game, simply because he touches it so much. Averages 33.9 minutes

RESERVES:

2 Dingily Walker Senior 6'1 204 4.1ppg, 1.5rpg, 1.0agp. 38.6% from 3. He's a body that can knock down a 3.

21 Dante Buford Freshman 6'7 221 3.5ppg, 1.9rpg. A body that can play down low. Is a capable shooter from the outside

30 Akolda Manyang Junior 7'0 243 2.8ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.5bpg. Very long...very long. Good at contesting and challenging shots.

3 Christian James Freshman 2.4ppg, 1.6rpg. He's a bridge in the gap for the other guys.

About Oklahoma:

Oklahoma comes into the game as the #1 team in the country (well, the AP poll...#2 in coaches. 1 sounds better). They have an overall record of 17-2 and 6-2 in the Big 12 conference. They have ranked wins over Villanova in Hawaii, Iowa State at home, West Virginia at home, and @Baylor. Their 2 losses are @Kansas and @Iowa State, both highly ranked. They are an upperclassmen driven team, and are uber experience. Currently, Buddy Hield is in the driver's seat for the Wooden Award.

STATISTICS:

Offensively:
PPG: 85.8 (2nd nationally)
FG%: 47.7% (25th nationally)
3P%: 46.7% (1st nationally)
FT%: 71.9% (90th nationally)
APG: 16.2 (30th nationally)
Turnovers: 13.1 (187th nationally)
Off Rebounds: 9.3 (157th nationally)
Offensive Efficiency: 1.123 (16th nationally)
3PA: 23.9 (38th nationally)

Where do I start? Well, Oklahoma is very good offensively. They push the ball very hard, and thus get lots of 3-point chances. There's really nothing they do badly. They turn it over a good bit, but that is because they have so many possessions.

Hield is a superstar, but Cousins and Woodard are nearly elite in their own right, and Spangler is a very dangerous big man. However, that's where it ends for Oklahoma. Lattin can get some ugly points, but they certainly have a "Big 4."

Defensively:
PPG: 71.4 (173rd nationally)
FG%: 39% (16th nationally)
3P%: 31.7% (59th nationally)
BPG: 6.2 (5th nationally)
RPG: 41.5 (30th nationally)
SPG: 7.2 (74th nationally)
Offensive Rebounds Allowed: 10.7 (305th nationally)
Defensive Efficiency: .934 (37th nationally)
Turnovers Forced: 11.7 (264th nationally)

Many teams have good defenses or good offenses...few have both. Oklahoma's points are misleading because of the way they play the game. But they block shots, hold you to low FG%, and make you earn everything. With that said, they really are not a good rebounding team, which is by far their main downfall. Their average rebounds per game are high because of the possessions and the type of defense they play. However, they are one of the worst teams in the country and containing offensive rebounds. Since Victor has been back, LSU is averaging nearly 12 offensive rebounds per game, which would make it a top 25 offensive rebounding team.
This post was edited on 1/29/16 at 4:48 pm
Posted by LSUButt
Lowcountry
Member since Jan 2006
14928 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:37 pm to
Key Matchups and Keys to Success:

1.) Stopping Buddy Hield. Who is tasked with this monumental effort? I believe it will be TQ to start off, with Blakeney eventually taking the role. However, I full expect LSU to switch everything. We may not because...well...Johnny, but they don't have a true post threat and with our athleticism, all of our guys can do a decent job contesting and trying to stay in front.

2.) Stopping Ben Simmons. There is no doubt they will put Khadeem Lattin on Simmons. He's very very long, good athlete, great defender. However, with Lattin on Simmons that will take him away from the basket allowing better penetration. Even though Simmons is not a good shooter, he is an elite passer, moves without the ball well, and can make you pay if you don't guard him. Not to mention, Ben is 4th in the nation in FTA per game, and he gets countless other fouls moving without the ball and players grabbing and holding him.

3.) Stopping the Big 4. If they all get theres, it is over. If you stop 1 but allow the other 3 to all get well above their averages, it's over. LSU can allow 1 or 2 to go above their average, but cannot alllow guys to be knocking down everything.

4.) The Crowd. I truly think this will be a factor. Many Oklahoma fans and 'fans' on this website will argue that Oklahoma is beyond battle tested and played at ISU and KU already. And I would very much agree...but it has NOTHING to do with Oklahoma. LSU plays up and down to competition. Many times that's because of the emotion in our players. UK we had almost a sellout and played lights out...UGA there's 7k there and its a disgusting win. Our players feed on emotion. Tim Quarterman is the ultimate cheerleader and when the crowd is in it, he's in it, which makes our team in it.

5.) Fouls and Refs. Will the Refs call every damn foul like they did the other night? Or will they let them play? Both teams have terrible benches. Most hate on Josh Gray, but he's at least somewhat capable of scoring a few buckets, and of course we have Blakeney who is solid. Neither team has much down low. Both have a few bodies. Oklahoma is very very weak on depth. They have their big 4 play over 30 minutes a game. Personally, I could care less about minutes because I think these dudes are well conditioned athletes...but many times it speaks volumes of what is behind them. Held played 54 out of 55 minutes against Kansas because they knew if he sat on the bench they would lose. So which team gets in foul trouble?

Analysis/Prediction:

Oklahoma has looked great this year. They've beaten some very good teams, have a superstar player, and they have lots of studs around him. With that said, I think there are some things that trend in LSU's direction.

Oklahoma has played 6 true road games (technically they played Hawaii in a tourney...but it was AT Hawaii). This is what their road contests look like:
@Memphis - W 84-78
@Hawaii - W 84-81
@ Kansas - L 109-106 (3 OT...77-77 end of regulation)
@Ok State - W 74-72
@ Iowa State - L 82-77
@ Baylor - 82-72

The Baylor game is misleading because they were up BIG and rested many guys. But does anyone notice the other 5 games? Pretty close games, 2 of which they lost. Their average margin of victory on the road is +2.17. Since SEC play started, LSU has a +8.25 advantage at home..the major win was an 18-point drubbing of Kentucky. I know I know, stats can be misleading, and many of these posts I think they are...but not this one. I think it's well known that LSU plays MUCH better at the PMAC than on the road, and I think Oklahoma is a good, but not GREAT team on the road. If this game were in Norman, I'd say Sooners by 15 easily, but at BR, I'm not sure.

There are many critics of Johnny Jones. Personally, I like the guy, but I admit he has many downfalls. considering he's the 12th highest paid coach in the SEC, I think he's done a good job. With that said, NO ONE can deny that he gets players up for the big ones. Over the years we beat the big guns, lose to the Auburns and Miss States of the world. Well, Oklahoma is currently about as big as you can get. If you broke down the game from every single angle (I broke down very little, SoS can into a whole cave of analysts), it would no doubt favor Oklahoma in probably 80% of categories. But that's why we love sports, and especially college sports..emotion. Football season is well in the rear view mirror, baseball has not started, basketball is the focal point, there is a buzz around campus for #RampCamp2016, and it is a Saturday. There's just something about a Saturday evening on that campus that makes things special. I'm just feeling it in the air. Cannot wait to tailgate with you guys and make something special happen Saturday.

LSU - 87
OU - 82


This post was edited on 1/28/16 at 8:21 pm
Posted by camplsu
Section 210
Member since Feb 2007
1527 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:39 pm to
Posted by The Boat
Member since Oct 2008
164014 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:39 pm to
quote:

LSU - 87
OU - 82

This post was edited on 1/28/16 at 3:40 pm
Posted by thunderbird1100
GSU Eagles fan
Member since Oct 2007
68289 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:39 pm to
Note for Johnny Jones,

Do not, and I repeat DO NOT go to a zone this game.

Thanks,
Concerned fans
Posted by LSUButt
Lowcountry
Member since Jan 2006
14928 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:40 pm to
YES. I typed some many words I left that out...but yes...that
Posted by More beer please
Member since Feb 2010
45041 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:42 pm to
quote:

Keys to Success:


*Victor doesnt get in foul trouble

We can deal with other guys being off or ben being passive, but if victor is out we are in serious trouble.
Posted by The Truth 34
Chavez Ravine
Member since May 2010
41170 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:43 pm to
quote:

LSU - 87
OU - 82


Posted by SouthOfSouth
Baton Rouge
Member since Jun 2008
43456 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:50 pm to
LETS F*^KING GEAUX!!!!!!

Ready to kick some arse!
Posted by Whoopdedo_LSU
This is where I parked my car
Member since Oct 2015
1091 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 3:57 pm to
Thanks for taking time out of your day to give us the history of OU basketball this season!
Posted by LSUButt
Lowcountry
Member since Jan 2006
14928 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 4:02 pm to
I either got a fat finger downvote or bfniii just downvoted me
Posted by BayouBengals03
lsu14always
Member since Nov 2007
99999 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 4:03 pm to
We are going to dominate them on the glass.
Posted by LSUButt
Lowcountry
Member since Jan 2006
14928 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 4:08 pm to
I agree. They gave up 21 offensive rebounds to TTU, 14 to Baylor, 13 to ISU...they give up A LOT
Posted by themunch
Earth. maybe
Member since Jan 2007
64581 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 4:10 pm to
IN.
Posted by SouthOfSouth
Baton Rouge
Member since Jun 2008
43456 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 4:12 pm to
quote:

We are going to dominate them on the glass.


We really have been a good rebounding team since conference play started. I could definitely see us kicking arse on the boards.
Posted by drizztiger
Deal With it!
Member since Mar 2007
36807 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 4:53 pm to
quote:

I either got a fat finger downvote or bfniii just downvoted me
Stop blaming bfniii for my downvote.

Just joking.

Great writeup, much appreciated as always.

Love the score prediction. I'm going to predict OU 90, LSU 60. If I did it any other way, I'd be guaranteeing a loss.



Posted by Alt26
Member since Mar 2010
28225 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 4:58 pm to
quote:

The Crowd.


I suspect this will be the largest actual attendance since they reconfigured the PMAC in 05 (beating the UK game last year). It's been quite a while since LSU had a big weekend basketball game. The game is not "must win" in the sense that a loss completely ends LSU's hopes for a tournament birth. However the game is huge because:

1. I think a win would put LSU in the tournament (for the time being of course) with 1.5 months left to play as opposed to being on the outside trying to fight their way in. And;

2. It gets the crowd back for the rest of the season. The UGA game had a decent crowd considering it was a 8:00 pm start on a weeknight with shitty weather.
Posted by McCaigBro69
TigerDroppings Premium Member
Member since Oct 2014
45084 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 5:24 pm to
My pants are hard for this game.
Posted by Hiphopanonymous
Baton rouge
Member since Jul 2014
2377 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 5:27 pm to
I just got chills reading that preview and thinking about the atmosphere Sat evening! Great write up LSUButt! Keep em comin.
Posted by More&Les
Member since Nov 2012
14684 posts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 5:53 pm to
Excellent write up!

Geaux Tigers!
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