Foul trouble — the phrase appears to have a simple meaning, but LSU’s men’s basketball team defines it as imbalance.
This season has been plagued by a struggle to manage the balance between fouls and aggressive defense. The Tigers are dead last in the Southeastern Conference in fouls against with 232, but all three of their losses have come when either sophomore forwards Jarell Martin or Jordan Mickey get into early foul trouble.
On the flip side, some of the Tigers’ worst rebounding and post performances have come when the team stays out of foul trouble. The ability to play both aggressively and cautiously isn’t always easy, and there often times isn’t a clear-cut solution.
LSU head coach Johnny Jones said the best way to handle fouls is to embrace them but to also be smart with them.
“Some fouls you’re just going to get, especially in the post where there’s a grind and it’s tough,” Jones said. “You just want to try and stay away from the other fouls where it’s in the backcourt or charging fouls. Those are the ones that add up and catch up with you throughout the course of the game.
“You’re going to pick up [fouls], and you have to play through them. But if you get a foul in the backcourt or a charging foul when you should be making another play, that’s when we have to be smart and make good decisions.”
Martin, who has the most personal fouls on the team with 43, has run into his fair share of foul troubles throughout the early stages of the season.
His three foul-outs rank as the most on the team, and the Tigers have lost two of the three games in which he has fouled out or been in foul trouble.
Martin said the most important part of playing with foul trouble is staying alert.
“Just be cautious in how you’re playing and [don’t make] hard plays or be too aggressive,” Martin said. “You want to be aggressive out there, but not enough where it’s noticeable or you get the foul. Me and Jordan have to stay out of foul trouble and find ways to be out there on the floor helping our teammates.”
Mickey, who leads the team in blocks with 50 and was just recently named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25, is the Tigers’ most valuable post defender. Mickey already ranks second on the Tigers’ all-time block list behind Shaquille O’Neal.
Mickey said it can be tough trying to manage his defensive aggression down low in the post while also trying to remain in the game.
“I have to do what I can to stay on the floor and help my team,” Mickey said. “I’m most effective when I’m on the floor. I can’t really help them from the bench, so when I’m in foul trouble, I have to pick and choose when I go for a block or not.”
While fouls can be a burden on any team trying to put its most valuable and efficient players on the court, Jones said managing the rotation and executing the game plan will be key for the Tigers moving forward in SEC play.
“If you do your work early and properly and put yourself in the right position, sometimes we may not be able to get blocked shots,” Jones said. “But if we rotate and put ourselves in a better spot, then we’ll force our opponents out of good offensive possessions.”
You can reach Jack Chascin on Twitter @chascin_TDR.
Foul trouble — the phrase appears to have a simple meaning, but LSU’s men’s basketball team defines it as imbalance.
This season has been plagued by a struggle to manage the balance between fouls and aggressive defense. The Tigers are dead last in the Southeastern Conference in fouls against with 232, but all three of their losses have come when either sophomore forwards Jarell Martin or Jordan Mickey get into early foul trouble.
But, on the flip side, some of the Tigers’ worst rebounding and post performances have come when the team stays out of foul trouble. The ability to play both aggressively and cautiously isn’t always easy, and there often times isn’t a clear-cut solution.
LSU head coach Johnny Jones said the best way to handle fouls is to embrace them, but be smart with them.
“Some fouls you’re just going to get, especially in the post, where there’s a grind and it’s tough,” Jones said. “You just want to try and stay away from the other fouls where it’s in the backcourt or charging fouls. Those are the ones that add up and catch up with you throughout the course of the game.
“You’re going to pick up [fouls], and you have to play through them. But if you get a foul in the backcourt or a charging foul when you should be making another play, that’s when we have to be smart and make good decisions.”
Martin, who has the most personal fouls on the team with 43, has run into his fair share of foul troubles throughout the early stages of the season.
His three foul-outs rank as the most on the team, and the Tigers have lost all two of the three games in which he has fouled out or been in foul trouble.
Martin said the most important part of playing with foul trouble is staying alert.
“Just be cautious in how you’re playing and [don’t make] hard plays or be too aggressive,” Martin said. “You want to be aggressive out there, but not enough where it’s noticeable or you get the foul. Me and Jordan have to stay out of foul trouble and find ways to be out there on the floor helping our teammates.”
Mickey, who leads the team in blocks with 50 and was just recently named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25, is the Tigers’ most valuable post defender. Mickey already ranks second on the Tigers all-time block list behind Shaquille O’Neal.
Mickey said it can be tough trying to manage his defensive aggression down low in the post while also trying to remain in the game.
“I have to do what I can to stay on the floor and help my team,” Mickey said. “I’m most effective when I’m on the floor. I can’t really help them from the bench, so when I’m in foul trouble I have to pick and choose when I go for a block or not.”
While fouls can be a burden on any team trying to put its most valuable and efficient players on the court, Jones said managing the rotation and executing the game plan will be key for the Tigers moving forward in SEC play.
“If you do your work early and properly and put yourself in the right position, sometimes we may not be able to get blocked shots,” Jones said. “But if we rotate and put ourselves in a better spot, then we’ll force our opponents out of good offensive possessions.”