With our leadership this year we will win the National Championship in Basketball 1/30/20

You probably will catch crap in this thread. But I will say if we had Naz and Tremont back on this team we would have had a shot for sure IMO.

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if we had Naz and Tremont

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I’d take Kavell out of the 3 of them TBH

I don’t think we will win the tourney. So much luck involved and they are missing a few pieces. Saying that, it is awesome to be back to a team that expects to make the tourney every year rather than hoping.

This is a down year for college hoops. Everyone kind of sucks, frankly. W none of the blue bloods actually being that good, LSU has as good a shite as any.

What you smoking?

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I don't think this team has the depth to win it even with Manning back, in the tourney foul trouble in one game could easily prevent a run.

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With Manning back they'd have an 8 man rotation (they've been doing just fine with 7 right now). "Foul trouble" hasn't been a problem for this team for two reasons:

1. They are one of the best teams in the country (top 10) in defending without fouling. Of course, some of that is because they don't defend very well in and of itself. But still, they defend without fouling.

2. The scoring on this team is VERY balanced. They can overcome losing significant minutes from someone in foul trouble simply because 4 (or more) guys can all step up and score in double-figures in any game.

Reasons (at this point) why they can make a big run:

Obviously no NCAAT games are going to be played in the PMAC, so they have to be able to win at neutral sites. Luckily, LSU's strengths "travel". Those strengths are:

1. Scoring 2 point baskets (6th in 2 pt FG %);

2. FT shooting (13th in FT %);

3. Rebounding (10th in total rebound rate), particularly offensive rebounding (8th in offensive rebounding rate).

4. Defending without fouling (top 10) -- They don't send opponents to the line for FT's

For any team, outside shooting can be fickle. 3 point shooting can be even MORE unreliable. That is particularly true and amplified away from home. That's not a worry for LSU. Consider this. They are the 4th most efficient offensive team in the country and are 8th in PPG, ALL while being a terrible 3 point shooting team! This isn't a group that relies on a three point barrage to put up big scoring numbers. They just constantly put the ball in the basked from start to finish.

It doesn't matter if you are playing in a 70,000 seat dome or 700 seat hotel ballroom, it's easy to score if you are taking mostly dunks/layups. And it's easy to KEEP scoring all game long if you are giving yourself second, third, fourth chances at the rim (offensive rebounds) and/or getting to the FT line a ton and converting when there. Finally, it's not just one guy carrying the load. All 5 starters are averaging double-figures. There's no one guy a defense can focus on shutting down. If they do, then all it means is the other 4 are going to have bigger nights.

Reasons why they won't make a big run

1. At best, they are an inconsistent defensive team. At worst, they are a terrible defensive team. They are currently ranked 135 in defensive efficiency. That's flat our awful for a team with dreams of a Final Four appearance. If you go back through the years and look at the teams who made Final Fours/won championships, almost all (if not all) were AT LEAST around the top 40 in defensive efficiency. This LSU team is NOWHERE close to that. Even just average offensive teams can carve them up. If they run into a good offensive team who also has enough "bulk" inside to mitigate LSU's rebounding advantage, it could be a quick exit (Michigan St. was that last season and they blew out LSU). A team this year that fits that mold is Mississippi St. As we know, it took a little bit of an implosion from them late on offense, coupled with a lucky buzzer beater to get past them.

2. Turnovers. While they have improved significantly from the first few weeks of the season, the risk of a turnover implosion is always there. They are ranked 191 in turnovers per possession and 217 in turnovers per game. For a team that already struggles on defense, they simply can't give the opponent extra shots by giving up the ball (particularly "live-ball" turnovers). The untimely turnovers, coupled with inconsistent defense, has been a HUGE reason why they have blown some sizable leads this year. Everybody in the NCAAT is going to be good. So shooting yourself in the foot and giving good opponents extra possessions/easy baskets is a recipe for an early exit.

Let's ride

What are you smoking?

They will be lucky to make it to the round of 32. sweet 16 at best.

Point guard play is severely lacking and not having a big down low will create a huge match up issue with certain teams.

Additionally, the outside shooting is not good enough to make it far into the attorney.

I love LSU basketball and am thankful for Will Wade, but you are delusional. This team has zero depth and the starters play far too many minutes on a game to game basis.

Please point out what team they have beaten so far this year that is a good tourney team. Liberty lol?