More than a trophy is on the line when the LSU men’s basketball team kick-starts its run today in the National Invitation Tournament against San Francisco.
The NIT matchup against San Francisco (21-11, 13-5 West Coast Conference) is a second chance at salvation for the Tigers (19-13, 9-9 Southeastern Conference) after what can only be described as disappointment from not reaching the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight season.
A loss to Kentucky in the third round of the SEC tournament sent the Tigers packing for Baton Rouge with their fate of watching the Big Dance at home all but sealed.
A fate all the worse for LSU senior guard Andre Stringer, who will spend his fourth and final postseason with the Tigers on the outside looking in. The Tigers never made an NCAA tournament in Stringer’s four years at LSU — a fact no player took harder than LSU junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III, one of Stringer’s roommates.
“Not being able to get [Stringer] to the NCAA tournament was really hurtful for me,” O’Bryant said. “I know he felt the same way not being able to carry the team and not be able to get to the Big Dance in his final year.”
Stringer said it didn’t take long for reality to set in, spending the period before traveling to Atlanta reading a slew of articles by bracketology experts predicting LSU wouldn’t make the NCAA tournament.
“It’s been a hard, tough, tough couple of days for us,” Stringer said. “In our household, we value this game so much and put time and effort into it, when we fall short we’re really crushed by it.”
But Selection Sunday brought with it a glimmer of hope for the Tigers to leave 2014 on a high note in a trip to San Francisco for the NIT.
“[The NIT] used to be the big tournament and the one everyone wanted to get into,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones. “Unfortunately, we fell short in that mark, and we’re disappointed in that, but in time, we have an opportunity to play in the NIT.”
Both Stringer and O’Bryant played in LSU’s last NIT appearance in 2012, but the run was short-lived after Oregon shooters caught fire en route to a 96-76 thrashing in Eugene, Ore.
LSU junior guard Anthony Hickey was the only other current player on the team in 2012. The three combined for 24 points against the Ducks with O’Bryant leading the way with 12 points.
“That’s the great part about having veteran players is to have the opportunity to talk about past experiences,” Jones said. “That’s what we wanted going into the conference tournament. When you have that, your guys don’t go in blind.”
O’Bryant said he’s expecting similarities between San Francisco and the trip to Oregon in 2012.
“We just have to go up and defend because you know San Francisco is a great shooting team,” O’Bryant said. “They took a lot of 3 pointers on the year and they can probably shoot really well at home. We don’t want to let them get off to a hot start.”
This season marks the seventh time LSU reached the NIT since 1970. The Tigers lost to Army in the 1970 NIT third place game, in what was basketball hall of fame inductee and Naismith award winner Pete Maravich’s last game with the Tigers.
LSU failed to move past the second round every year since its original appearance.