On paper, a 1-1 record isn’t the dream start for LSU basketball. But all things considered, it’s been a positive opening week for the Tigers.
Without shooting the ball exceptionally well in either game, LSU scored 90 points in the season-opening loss to UMass and 88 in its victory against Northwestern State in Saturday’s home opener.
For comparison, the Tigers only broke the 85-point mark twice last season, one of which came in a triple-overtime win against Alabama.
The difference is in the sheer number of offensive options LSU possesses.
Gone are the days of three or four players being responsible for all the scoring. LSU coach Johnny Jones has gone 11 and 12 men deep off his bench and gotten points from 10 of them.
Jones has done it without forward Jarell Martin, who played less than a minute against UMass before leaving with a sprained ankle. The freshman is the crown jewel of Jones’ highly touted recruiting class, and his offensive versatility can only make LSU more dangerous inside and outside once he returns.
But with or without Martin, it’s no longer the Johnny O’Bryant III Show in the paint for LSU. The junior forward has scored 25 and 21 in the two games, but unlike last season, he’s gotten help.
Freshman Jordan Mickey received less hype than Martin on his way into Baton Rouge, but has been an absolute stud inside. He’s shown tremendous athleticism, posting double-digit points and rebounds in both games while blocking 11 shots along the way.
The well runs even deeper.
Jones got contributions from a pair of big men who provided a spark off the bench Saturday night. Freshman Darcy Malone scored five points in as many minutes to extend LSU’s lead heading into halftime and John Odo added seven points and eight rebounds, including a pair of put-backs that sparked a second-half run.
The LSU bigs should get even more work going forward, considering how efficient they’ve been. The combination of O’Bryant, Mickey, Malone and Odo finished 18-for-30 from the field Saturday night.
Meanwhile, guards Andre Stringer, Tim Quarterman, Anthony Hickey and Malik Morgan shot a combined 12-for-38, an uninspiring 31.5 percent. If anything, the Tigers aren’t throwing the ball inside to their post players enough.
Jones said his team settled for too many jump shots against the Demons. Stringer said the same thing and acknowledged he was still getting used to playing with so many weapons inside who need to get touches.
Considering the second-best option last season behind O’Bryant was often renowned tuba player Andrew Del Piero, it’s hard to blame him.
But he, Hickey and the rest of the guards need to figure it out by the time LSU heads to the Old Spice Classic next week. The Tigers have the talent to boost its out-of-conference credentials in Orlando, but they won’t beat the likes of Memphis or Oklahoma State by settling for jump shots.
It’s time to get used to playing inside-out. With two in-state opponents visiting the PMAC this week, the ball should be fed into the post early and often.
LSU will have to play inside-out offensively in order to achieve maximum efficiency. The players are there, and it will create open shots on the perimeter when teams start double teaming the post more often.
The Tigers are scoring more points than they did last season on talent alone. But once the guards start looking inside first all the time, LSU will be more efficient offensively and that much more dangerous as a team.