Miss St favored over LSU

Riding the Wade bus with no wheels.....

To say we need a win right now is an understatement, tourney is slowly slipping away from us

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Dayes and Oniel

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0 for 2

Even WITH Days and O'Neal I didn't like the MSU matchup. It's worse without them (though I think Days will give it a go). MSU is not a great team. But they are big and physical inside and Howland's teams want to play a physical "ugly" game overall. MSU was one of the few teams last year that really bullied LSU in the paint. They were just terrible on offense that night leaving just enough of a crack open for Mays to hit a buzzer beater for an LSU win.

From a personnel standpoint, UK, MSU and Mizzou are the three teams I just don't like against this LSU team. That said, it's not impossible for LSU to win this game. Assuming O'Neal is out and Days is limited, Watford is going to have to step up his intensity in ALL aspects...not just in one-on-one drives to the basket. LSU can't afford to have him give shitty effort on defense and the glass because he's angry shots aren't falling for him. Leblanc will have to give good minutes and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Gray play.

On that note, LSU generally places a big emphasis on "defending" without fouling. That's generally a good thought. However, MSU is a TERRIBLE FT shooting team (323rd in the nation). So this could be the one game where "using" all 5 of Gray's fouls might not be a bad strategy if MSU is imposing their will inside.

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way too many of these one-on-one drives. Most of the time they dont result in terrible shots, but they arent good possessions.

Our off-ball movement on offense has been painful to watch

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Like it or not, that is LSU's offense this year (a lot of isolation). Generally, it has worked as LSU often scores the ball well enough that they should be competitive in most games....if they could get stops defensively.

Watford has shot below his average in the last two games vs. Texas Tech and Alabama. He's LSU's second leading scorer so you have to imagine those two games are more of the outlier than the norm. That said, every player has tough nights offensively during a season. But you can't let those struggles infect every other aspect of your game that night. Vs. Alabama last time out LSU was committed to playing good defense to start the game...except for Watford who played with absolutely no energy, effort or desire on that side of the ball. When a team is already generally bad on defense they can't afford to have a guy essentially "check out" on the few nights the other guys are committed to playing hard defensively.

Even if Watford again struggles offensively tonight I think LSU should still have enough offense to remain competitive. But they (likely) won't have enough effective size inside defensively and on the glass if Watford decides he doesn't want to bother with those aspects of the game.

Pass around and shoot the 3.

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Like it or not, that is LSU's offense this year (a lot of isolation). Generally, it has worked as LSU often scores the ball well enough that they should be competitive in most games

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I know it is, I just don’t know why. We have guys talented enough to go ISO but I feel like with off ball movement and good passing, we could get way more easier looks. Dont know if Wade, doesn’t like to coach like that or doesn’t know how.

LSU wins tonight by 10-15 points.

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Like it or not, that is LSU's offense this year (a lot of isolation)

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know it is, I just don’t know why. We have guys talented enough to go ISO but I feel like with off ball movement and good passing, we could get way more easier looks. Dont know if Wade, doesn’t like to coach like that or doesn’t know how.

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An offense with more ball movement would give the team a higher upside against the toughest teams.

It's certainly a lot more fun to watch and, I think, better psychologically to not have quite so much isolation. No matter what they may say, getting touches on offense puts a "spring" in most players' step all around.


Ironically though, the high offensive rating is due in no small part to LSU being off the charts in limiting turnovers. (FT rate -- drawing shooting fouls and making FTS -- is the other)

LSU is best in the SEC by a long shot in turnover rate while being last in assist rate.