After being picked to finish third in the Southeastern Conference, LSU basketball landed at No. 22 in the preseason AP poll released on Monday.
The Tigers are coming off a Sweet 16 and SEC regular season title last season, but there are questions on how the Tigers will replace guard Tremont Waters and big men Naz Reid and Kavell Bigby-Williams.
All three were key pieces in 2019, averaging 36.8 points and 16.7 rebounds per game combined. That’s 45 percent of LSU’s scoring and 43 percent of LSU’s rebounding from last season.
LSU is going to be anchored by senior guard Skylar Mays and a trio of sophomores — guard Javonte Smart, forward Darius Days and forward Emmitt Williams. The Tigers also added five-star forward Trendon Watford along with guard James Bishop and junior college transfer Charles Manning in the 2019 recruiting class.
Over the course of the season, LSU will play five teams ranked in the preseason top 25 — at No. 25 VCU on Nov. 13, No. 17 Utah State in Jamaica, No. 6 Florida on Jan. 21 and Feb. 26, at No. 24 Auburn on Feb. 8 and then No. 2 Kentucky on Feb. 18.