The LSU men’s and women’s basketball teams are in trouble.
Kentucky thrashed the Tigers, 74-50, in the PMAC on Saturday. The Lady Tigers couldn’t put up enough points against Vanderbilt, losing 81-72 on Sunday in Nashville.
Both had lofty hopes — to play in the Big Dance at the end of the year. It’s troubling for LSU basketball fans to watch these teams struggle.
For the men to sit at 2-5 in the Southeastern Conference at this point in the season isn’t what coach Trent Johnson had in mind.
Of course, the Tigers just finished the hardest chunk of their schedule. The team is coming off three straight games against teams ranked in the country’s top 20.
Florida pulled away late, 76-64. A late turnover prevented LSU from stealing the game from the Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss. The Tigers got within one point of Kentucky in the first half before sophomore forward Terrence Jones exploded in the second half for the Wildcats.
The fact still remains — the Tigers haven’t won any significant games in the SEC this season, especially on the road.
There is no more room for moral victories.
LSU must beat Mississippi State at home and Vanderbilt on the road if they hope to even join the 68-team NCAA Tournament bracket conversation.
The next couple of weeks will likely decide whether Johnson will be seeking employment outside of Baton Rouge next fall.
 
While the Lady Tigers have a better shot at reaching March Madness than the men, they still have plenty of work to do.
After losing to Vanderbilt on Sunday, the Lady Tigers now sit in a tie for fifth place in the SEC at 4-4. It’s hard to believe that a few weeks ago, Nikki Caldwell’s team was 4-0 and had its sights set on challenging Tennessee for the conference crown.
As if the defeats didn’t hurt enough, it stung even more when they lost a valuable part of the team. Senior point guard Destini Hughes tore her ACL in a loss at Tennessee earlier this month.
Hughes’ injury leaves the Lady Tigers without an experienced point guard at the most important time of the season.
An immediate, or possibly long-term, fix for Caldwell is to play sophomore Jeanne Kenney at point guard. Given the chance, she could make a big impact on the team as the new floor general.
The Lady Tigers have three home games in a row to regain some ground in the SEC standings and ease the pain of the team’s recent struggles.
A win Sunday against No. 5 Kentucky would be a huge victory for Caldwell in her first year and could cement LSU in the NCAA Tournament — as long as total collapse doesn’t follow.
It will be interesting to see down the stretch how, if at all, Caldwell’s pregnancy will affect the team. If an assistant has to coach this team in a high stakes game down the road, senior leaders LaSondra Barrett and Courtney Jones will have to take the reins.
At this point, the Lady Tigers have a much better shot at making the NCAA Tournament field than the men’s team.
For the remainder of the season, both teams need to take on the mantra of legendary Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis: Just win, baby.
Micah Bedard is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Houma. Follow him on Twitter @DardDog.
 
—-
Contact Micah Bedard at [email protected]