It has been 966 days since LSU lost to North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament.
In that time span, a team led by No. 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons missed postseason play completely, and coach Johnny Jones was fired after one of the worst seasons in LSU history.
Enter 34-year-old Will Wade, one of the youngest head coaches in college basketball.
Wade’s job this season is to lay a new foundation for a program that made the NCAA Tournament every year from 1984-1993. Since then, LSU has only made the tournament six times.
This year’s LSU squad is led by a bevy of new players, and Wade is attempting to instill a defensive identity that can carry over from year-to-year.
Last season, the defense finished 335th in the nation with 83.0 points allowed per game.
The Tigers’ defense once again struggled in an exhibition game against Tulane, giving up 84 points. Wade criticized himself for the lack of execution on defense and plans to give less experienced players a chance.
“This was all stuff we have taught for six months and we just had huge breakdowns,” Wade said in his press conference. “We have to get it corrected. Part of it is that we are playing the wrong guys. We have been trying some of these guys and hoping they would come around defensively and the experiments are over.”
One of the players coming under fire for poor defense is junior guard Brandon Sampson. Sampson was the Tigers’ third leading scorer last season with 11.6 points per game.
With Sampson seemingly relegated to the bench, LSU plans to run the offense through senior forward Duop Reath, sophomore guard Skylar Mays and freshman guard Tremont Waters.
“[Reath] is our best offensive option,” Wade said. “The second option is not even close to where he is. We are going to play through him. We are going to feed him the ball.”
The 6-foot-11-inch forward averaged 12.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
“I’m surrounded by guys that can shoot real well,” Reath said. “I feel like it is going to be easier for me on the weak side. The double team is going to come, but I am going to be more careful now. If they come and leave their man, I’m going to throw it out and shoot that three.”
“Duop is good enough to where if it is one-on-one he is going to score,” Wade said. “If it is not one on one that means somebody has helped and our perimeter players are good enough because if it is 4-on-3 on the perimeter we are going to make a play. That’s what we are going to do. Simple basketball.”
Wade plans to have senior forward Aaron Epps on the perimeter.
Epps shot 43.8 percent from three last season, but his availability for the start of the season is in question due to a foot injury.
Wade said that the team misses Epps’ shooting and that he is one of the team’s best weapons on offense.
“I told you Skylar has gotten better, he has gotten better,” Wade said. “I told you Duop has gotten better, he has gotten better. I told you Epps was a guy that has gotten better, I promise you he has gotten better. They are our three most improved players.”
“They are our three most consistent, hardest working guys.”
Wade and the Tigers will open the season at home against Alcorn State at 7 p.m. on Nov. 10 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.