The goal for every college basketball team is to cut down the nets at the conclusion of the regular season, or a conference tournament or after the NCAA Tournament championship game.
LSU completed its regular season on Saturday night with an 84-80 win over Missouri. The victory gave the Tigers a 9-9 record in SEC play. That’s not net cutting worthy, but it is a nice accomplishment for a program that just won twice in SEC play last year.
I’m proud of our program,” said 2nd year coach Matt McMahon. “I know this, I didn’t come to LSU to celebrate 9-9, but I think sometimes we all think success is just this easy climb, and you get to where you want to go on a smooth travel plan. Twenty-three months ago, LSU didn’t have a basketball program. There was no coaching staff in place, there were no players, no academics, there was no program, 23 months ago. And it’s been a gradual process, but I’m proud of the players that have joined us on the journey, on the steps that we’ve made.
LSU avoided a losing record in SEC play despite not having their full team. Three players they signed out of the transfer portal were not much of a factor, Carlos Stewart, Daimion Collins and now the suspended Jalen Collins.
But several players stepped up to make sure this would not be a lost season. Trae Hannibal has been outstanding and scored a season-high 24 points in the win over Missouri.
Sophomore Tyrell Ward has really showed signs of developing. He scored in double figures in seven of his last nine games, including 14 on Saturday night.
LSU will now get ready for the SEC Tournament. The Tigers are the 8 seed and will play 9th seeded Mississippi State Thursday at noon. This is a tough matchup for the Tigers. The Bulldogs size at the forward position gave LSU problems when they met at the PMAC on February 24th, losing 87-67.
If LSU can beat Mississippi State, they will face top-seeded Tennessee. That’s another tough team for LSU to match-up against. The Tigers lost by 20 to the Volunteers in Knoxville on February 7th.
Regardless of what happens, LSU finishes with a winning overall record and will likely get an invite into the NIT to get some more postseason experience for a growing program.
