The LSU men’s basketball team hit a low point last season, going 11-20 overall and 2-14 in the Southeastern Conference.
 
“The bottom line is we lost a level of respect,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson on Media Day. “We lost a level of confidence, and we’re in a situation right now where these guys and us as a coaching staff feel really good about fighting our way back to respectability.”
 
It was unclear going into the season who would lead the Tigers out of the doldrums after the squad lost former forward Tasmin Mitchell, LSU’s third-leading scorer in team history.
 
It didn’t take long to see the primary scorers would be a couple of young perimeter threats.
 
Freshman guards Andre Stringer and Ralston Turner have led the Tigers with 16.1 and 12.6 points per game, respectively, en route to LSU’s 5-2 record to start the season.
 
The young shooters have contributed to LSU’s 40.7 percent mark from 3-point range. The Tigers are shooting 46.2 percent from the field.
 
“I think without question they are as good as advertised,” Johnson said.
 
The other surprise has been sophomore guard Aaron Dotson, the third-leading scorer  behind Stringer and Turner, who was slowed by knee problems last season. He is averaging 11.1 points per game, 7.9 more than last season, and is clearly more explosive than he was at any point last year.
 
Junior forward Malcolm White, who sat out last season after transferring from Ole Miss, made his first appearance in a Tiger uniform this year. He has averaged 8.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
 
“We’re still playing non-conference games,” White said. “There’s going to be teams that are smaller. You have to stay within a certain type of aggressive play. I know once SEC play starts, I’ll have to step up a little more inside.”
 
After an 87-78 victory against Northwestern State to open the season, the Tigers lost to Nicholls at home, 62-53. The loss snapped LSU’s 82-game home winning streak against in-state schools dating back to 1988.
 
“Just as we had a game plan for their team, they had a game plan for us,” Stringer said. “They took a lot of things away, and our ability to execute was changed.”
 
LSU’s only other loss this season was to then-No. 19 Memphis on Nov. 21, and the Tigers have rattled off three straight wins going into their 11-day break for finals.
 
Johnson said the Tigers have to perfect their assist-to-turnover ratio and offensive rebounding during the break. They have 21 more turnovers than assists, and opponents have six more offensive rebounds.
 
The break will also give the injured Tigers some much-needed rest.
 
Sophomore forward Dennis Harris hasn’t played all season
because of a high ankle sprain, and junior forward Storm Warren was slowed by an ankle injury early this season. Junior forward Garrett Green has also battled back problems but has been available every game.
 
“We have some people banged up a little bit, and they’ll have a chance to rest and take a break mentally,” Turner said.
The Tigers will begin the SEC season Jan. 8 at Auburn.
 
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