LSU is still looking for that “dog” inside of them on defense.
Junior guard Branden Jenkins is looking to bring his defensive ways and tendencies to bolster an LSU defense that allows 77.2 points per game.
“Guys just need to get out of their comfort zone,” Jenkins said. “Not all guys can be vocal. If everybody would get out of their comfort zone and do something that they don’t want to do, I think we’ll be fine.”
LSU’s problem starts with opening its mouth.
“Communication doesn’t cost anything — you’ve just got to open your mouth,” Jenkins said. “If they want to win, they’ll open their mouth. If they want to lose, they’ll continue to keep their mouth closed.”
The Tigers head to College Station to square off against a Texas A&M squad who is currently 0-3 in conference play.
The Aggies are currently on a three-game losing streak including 100-58 thumping from the Kentucky Wildcats and a 79-68 loss against South Carolina.
Despite the Tigers’ recent losses, LSU coach Johnny Jones knows that A&M still remains a force to be reckoned with.
“Although they are 0-3 in the league they have played some very competitive games outside of Kentucky at Rupp Arena,” Jones said. “They’ve been challenged. At 0-3 I know they will have an edge about them and we have to make sure we have the same.”
As a team, A&M is shooting 34.3 percent from beyond the arc this season. LSU allowed Mississippi State to shoot 11-of-22 from the three on Saturday, and have allowed opponents to shoot 35.4 percent on average this season.
“Our main problem is that we’re really inconsistent with our defense,” said junior forward Duop Reath. “We’ll have lapses where we get stops, but we’re not doing it throughout the whole 40 minutes. That’s really killing us. Consistency is our major problem.”
Committing less turnovers has also become a focal point for Jones and LSU.
The Tigers are averaging 14.6 turnovers per game this season — second most in the SEC behind Ole Miss, which averages 15.6.
Freshman point guard Skylar Mays is eager to see that number drop.
“The less we turn it over, the less points they can get off turnovers, so that would only be a benefit for us,” Mays said. “We just haven’t been making great decisions as of lately.”
Jones hinted that a new slate of “small-ball” lineups might be the first solution that LSU uses to combat the issue.
“We’ll get engaged with any changes we need to make lineup-wise and see how it fits,” Jones said. “Obviously, chemistry is going to be a little bit different. We’re hopeful to get off to better starts in games than we have and hopefully with a lineup change we’ll be able to do that.”
Texas A&M’s leading scorer Tyler Davis is averaging 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for the Aggies. Beside Davis is DJ Hogg, a sophomore forward who is averaging 13.4 points and shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc this season.
“Texas A&M has an ability to score from the post area with one of the most productive post guys in the league,” Jones said. “Tyler Davis does a great job. On the perimeter they’re very effective in shooting the ball from the three-point line.”