Measuring a college basketball team in the early season isn’t an exact science.
Some schools utilize tournaments and conference showcase games before conference play begins to compete against upper-echelon programs. Other coaches prefer to have their squads take on lesser opponents to work out the kinks before taking on the big boys.
LSU falls into the latter category. And I can’t blame coach Johnny Jones for playing it safe, although it makes it hard to gauge if LSU is as good as its 4-0 record suggests.
When the 2011-12 season concluded, optimism abounded that if the Tigers’ nucleus stayed intact, the immediate future of the program was bright. Then center Justin Hamilton declared early for the NBA Draft, coach Trent Johnson bolted to TCU and swingman Ralston Turner transferred to North Carolina State.
Consider any optimism for an NCAA Tournament berth from LSU men’s hoops fans flushed down the toilet.
With a short-list of returning contributors available in his first season at the helm, Jones has gone the precautionary route and loaded up LSU’s non-conference schedule with a bunch of cupcakes.
But fear not, LSU fans; you’ll finally get a chance to see a quality Division I college basketball contest as Seton Hall comes to town tonight to take on the Tigers in the annual SEC-Big East Challenge in the PMAC.
After four wins against overmatched teams, LSU will finally get its chance to prove its season-opening win streak isn’t just a stroke of good luck. More importantly, facing a quality opponent will allow fans to determine what to expect from the Tigers in the rest of the 2012-13 campaign.
Last season, LSU was able to take down Rutgers 55-50 on the road in the competition between the SEC and Big East in typical Trent Johnson fashion — stout defense complemented by putrid offense.
This year’s LSU team has a completely different vibe.
There are many reasons fans are optimistic they might be better than the 11th-place finish the media picked them to complete in the SEC with the Tigers’ fast start.
Offensively, LSU has progressed from the Johnson era by leaps and bounds.
Of the four games LSU has played, 73 is the lowest point total the Tigers have been held to so far. In the 2011-12 campaign, LSU scored 73 points or more in only five regular-season contests.
Jones has gotten his roster of newcomers and returnees to all buy into his up-tempo style of play.
But that’s not to say the defensive determination has lessened any during the transition from Johnson to Jones. Apart from their 101-95 shootout victory against Northwestern State, the Tigers are limiting their opponents to 54 points a game.
Newcomers have also been big early on for LSU.
Junior forward Shavon Coleman is the team’s leading scorer with an average of 17.3 points and rebounder with an average of 8 per game. He has been a big surprise after playing in junior college ranks this time last season. Fifth-year senior Charles Carmouche has been a steadying force both in the backcourt and in the locker room.
Yes, the Jones era of LSU men’s basketball has started off with a bang. But the quick success might not translate into more wins than the Tigers were projected for before the season tipped off.
Seton Hall isn’t a Big East power, but it’s a big step up from Mississippi Valley State and McNeese State.
The Pirates are 5-1 and feature size in the frontcourt, something LSU hasn’t had to worry about yet this year. Six-foot-9, 290-pound center Gene Teague poured in 20 points and 11 rebounds in their 76-61 win against St. Peter’s on Sunday.
Coleman has been great so far but hasn’t had to play against bigger bodies in the post. The Pirates have also had a chance to test themselves against Washington in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament last week.
So just what kind of team is LSU this year? We’ll get a good idea tonight in the PMAC.
