The Tigers’ loss to Alabama on Saturday was as bad as it gets.
It’s not just that LSU lost a game it absolutely had to have against a team with a losing record. It’s not even that the Tigers have now lost a mind-boggling nine consecutive games in Coleman Coliseum in the past 10 years.
The worst part is that LSU staged a dramatic comeback from 19 points down and took the lead late only to let it slip away in the final minute of the game.
Despite having all the momentum in the world, LSU lost hold of its lead.
After getting blown off the court in the first half, LSU had no business getting back into the game, but once it did, it had no business losing it.
On the road or not, teams that want to make the NCAA tournament don’t lose to teams like Alabama. It’s a résumé killer, and unless the Tigers pull miraculous upsets against Kentucky and Florida or win the Southeastern Conference Tournament, this loss just about seals their fate.
Responsibility for the loss has to start at the top with Johnny Jones, but there is plenty of blame to go around.
Offensively, the Tigers’ lack of an identity in the half-court bit them at the worst possible time. Trailing by two in the final minute, Andre Stringer and Anthony Hickey dribbled the shot clock away around the perimeter until Stringer inevitably turned the ball over.
Despite Jones calling a timeout, there was no semblance of a set play being run. Even more inconceivable, Johnny O’Bryant III didn’t touch the basketball. He was pushed out of the post and the LSU offense crumbled — along with its postseason aspirations.
The ball had to get into O’Bryant’s hands. Even if it meant handing it to him 30 feet from the basket, he’s by far
LSU’s best player and should have gotten a chance to tie the game. The fact that he didn’t is inexcusable.
The lack of a half-court offense hurt LSU late, but its half-court defense killed it throughout the game.
Alabama scored at will in the first half and in the final minutes of regulation, mostly on wide-open jump shots. LSU failed to close out on perimeter shooters, most notably on Shannon Hale’s 3-pointer that took the lead in the final minute.
LSU allowed Alabama, an average-at-best 3-point shooting team, to drain 8-of-16 shots from downtown. Teams can get hot from behind the arc, but an average team shooting 50 percent is a clear indication of bad defense.
It feels like ages ago we were all gushing about the insane length and athleticism LSU could employ defensively around the perimeter.
It showed up in the second half when Jones went to the full-court press. Alabama didn’t have another true ball handler besides Trevor Releford, and the pressure produced a litany of turnovers, playing a huge role in LSU’s comeback.
But beyond the press, LSU was terrible defensively. Seemingly every time the Tigers hit a big basket to recapture momentum they were hit with a counter punch, normally in the form of a wide-open three from either Hale or Rodney Cooper.
LSU got a huge break with Releford, pulling a disappearing act for most of the second half, but it allowed the Tide’s role players to beat them. That’s more frustrating than getting beat by an outstanding player like Releford.
It could have gone down as one of the greatest comebacks in the program’s history. Instead, it will be remembered as one of the biggest disappointments of Jones’ tenure.
Credit the Tigers for fighting back the way they did, but the bottom line is teams that want to play in March figure out ways to win games like that.
Instead LSU found ways to lose.
Now Jones needs to quickly refocus his team as Tuesday’s game against Kentucky is an absolute must-win if LSU wants to keep its fleeting tournament hopes alive.
But honestly, winning out may not be enough. This one is going to sting for a while.
James Moran is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Beacon, N.Y.