The LSU men’s basketball team pulled off a come-from-behind 79-75 victory Saturday at Vanderbilt, one of the strangest places to play in college basketball.
The game was closer to a loss than the Tigers would have liked, but they were three-point underdogs, according to Bovada, an online betting platform. The Tigers didn’t hold a lead the entire second half. They tied the game twice, once with 8:15 left and again with 1:07 remaining.
It was a big win because it avoided a bad loss.
Sophomore forwards Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin played like one of the nation’s top frontcourt duos, totaling 44 points and 23 rebounds. Junior guard Keith Hornsby continued his streak of double-digit scoring nights on the road. Sophomore guard Tim Quarterman scored half of his 12 points in overtime.
But none of that is the most impressive part of Saturday’s victory.
What stood out was what happened as the final horn sounded. When the clock struck zero, the five LSU players on the court jogged toward the bench — which is along the baseline for whatever reason — high-fived their teammates and then shook hands with the Commodores.
No chest-bumping. No slapping the floor. No ‘rah-rah, look at me’ celebrations.
LSU remained focused on the big picture. The Tigers expected to win. They understood there are more important goals to accomplish than one win.
Following Texas A&M’s win in Baton Rouge one week earlier, the Aggies ran out to midcourt and chest bumped one another. They held up their jerseys and shouted toward the crowd as they left the court —and rightfully so.
The Aggies pulled off an in-conference comeback road victory. They were not expected to win and earned the right to celebrate.
But the Tigers are focused on a different goal. The atmosphere and mentality around the team is different than in the past and different from that of the Aggies. These Tigers expect to win every game and act like it.
After watching the Tigers’ post-game celebration, the first thing that came to mind was what current LSU commit and five-star guard Antonio Blakeney said Jan. 2 during his commitment on ESPNU.
“It’s really a football school now, but they’re trying to change the culture,” Blakeney said.
Blakeney won’t get his chance to help the cause until next season, but he’s right. Football and baseball dominate at LSU, but the cultural change is coming.
The players are playing like they are at a basketball school. They don’t plan on playing second or third fiddle to anyone, and they shouldn’t.
All that’s left is for Tiger fans to recognize it, too. It’s time for basketball season to be the first thought after football season.
The culture is changing. Don’t get left behind.
Brian Pellerin is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from Kenner, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @Pellerin_TDR.