A few thoughts on the LSU/Texas A&M bball game

The following write-up was made Stromile Swift (the poster, not the player):

Heading into Saturday’s game in Houston, one of my main concerns was how LSU would handle the pressure of playing away from the PMAC for the first time. They played pretty tight in the first 10 minutes of the game, but finally settled down before the half. It wasn’t a true road test for the Tigers, but it was certainly a pro-A&M crowd (not to mention it was by far the biggest crowd/arena they have played in so far). Early on you could tell that A&M was the team with a couple of road games already under their belt. LSU was outrebounded by 7 against a larger A&M team, but LSU surprisingly outscored the Aggies in the paint. I couldn’t help but be impressed with the fact that LSU only turned the ball over 10 times, but shooting 2-13 from beyond the arc and missing four crucial free throws down the stretch ultimately led to LSU’s demise. LSU didn’t shoot the ball poorly from the field as they knocked down 46.4% of their field goal attempts compared to 50.0% by Texas A&M. Although I wasn’t impressed with the officiating (LSU was whistled for 8 more fouls), I’m not going to blame the refs for this loss. One of my other concerns was the fact that only one bench player (Q. Thornton) played more than 5 minutes. I’m hoping this was just an exception due to the fact LSU was playing in a tight game during their first road contest. IF LSU were to play A&M in the New Orleans Arena in a couple of weeks, I would love LSU’s chances at knocking off the Aggies. Texas A&M could very well be ranked in the top 25 at some point during the upcoming month. Now, it’s time for LSU to take care of McNeese tonight, and it’s imperative they beat an 8-3 Wash State team in the Pmac next Saturday!

Tasmin Mitchell- With each passing game, Tasmin is looking better and better. He will often be matched up with a bigger player on the defensive end, but he should be able to neutralize this advantage with his production on the offensive end. Tasmin was very aggressive, and he used his quickness on numerous occasions to get to the basket. It was also nice to see him knock down some mid-range jumpers which is needed for this team to be successful. LSU could also use a little more production out of him in the rebounding department (only had 3 against A&M).

Chris Johnson- I was really looking for him to bounce back and have a solid game against A&M. Instead, he had a horrible game and was a total non-factor. I knew he would struggle on the defensive end against bigger teams, but I was counting on him to make up for it on the offensive end. He only took two shot attempts, and had 2 points for the second consecutive game. He got into foul trouble early on, and became very passive on the defensive end. He bites on nearly every pump fake, and he needs to learn how to stay on the floor. He’s long and athletic, and he must get his timing down to block a few shots per game. LSU isn’t going to be very successful if they can only get 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 0 blocks from CJ.

Bo Spencer- I thought he played a pretty solid game, and he was matched up against the best guard he’s seen so far this season. He didn’t have his best shooting game, but he did contribute with 5 assists (only had 1 turnover). He was matched up against a pretty quick guard, and did a nice job on him for the most part. Spencer has made a lot of progress since last year, and he’s quickly turning into a quality SEC point guard.

Garrett Temple- GT didn’t play a great game, but he did contribute with 8 points which I feel LSU needs to get from him on a regular basis. He was 0-3 from beyond the arc, but he was a perfect 4-4 from the charity stripe. He also contributed with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. These are pretty much the type of games I expect from Temple is his new role with the team.

Marcus Thornton- He really helped keep LSU in the game, but did make a poor decision on the fast break late in the game. LSU had a 3-1 advantage with MT leading the break, and he should have dished it off when he hit the free throw line (committed the charge). His defense has improved tremendously from last season, as he pulled down 5 rebounds and was credited with 4 steals. He wouldn’t be counted on to score as much if CJ would show up. IF LSU can win the SEC West, Thornton should have a great case for first team All-SEC.

Quinton Thornton- Unfortunately, he was forced to play way too much (20 minutes) due to CJ and Tasmin's foul trouble. His offensive game is hurrendous, and he's only slightly better on the defensive end. In an ideal game, you'd like to see him get no more than 12 minutes of action IMO. He's good for a couple of garbage baskets and a few rebounds per game.

Overall, I didn't have any real complaints about the loss. It was a 2 point game with only 3 minutes to play, and the final score wasn't indicative of how close the game really was. Texas A&M executed down the stretch and LSU failed to do so in their first really close game of the season. Like I said earlier, I really think it's a must that LSU knocks off a pretty good Washington State team in the PMAC next Saturday. From what I've seen in the SEC so far, there is no reason LSU can't win the West and possibly make an NCAA tournament appearance (assuming they stay healthy).