Despite the recent disappointing loss to Georgia, it appears to many that LSU basketball is peaking at the right time.
Coming into the Georgia game, LSU had won its last three games in a row by an average of 17 PPG. Offensive efficiency was the story for the Tigers during the win streak as they averaged 92 PPG and shot over 55% from the field. Scoring in transition has been a point of emphasis for LSU, and Head Coach Will Wade believes this has been the key for LSU’s offense to get back on track.
“We’ve gotten a lot better in transition,” Wade said. “That’s where we’ve had the biggest uptick in our transition offense and being able to get some easy baskets.”
Cam Thomas led the way for LSU during the streak, averaging 25.7 PPG and putting up elite offensive ratings of 153, 117 and 142, respectively. This was a refreshing stretch for Thomas who has been inefficient during stretches of the season. Thomas believes that getting back adjusted and acclimated was the key for him.
“I’m just playing my game,” Thomas said about his recent hot streak. “I’m settling in better and getting more acclimated.”
The consistent efficiency has been something that LSU as a team has lacked during stretches of this season and it is critical for this efficiency to continue into the postseason.
Although LSU showed that it can put together a dominant run, the Georgia game showed that there is still work to do. Wade echoed this message.
“I think there’s still 8-10 things we can do better,” he said. We’ve got two or three guys we can still get more out of.”
Getting more out of the whole roster has been another key factor for LSU down the stretch. Josh LeBlanc Sr. and Eric Gaines have both stepped up in a big way for the Tigers off the bench. In the game against Auburn, Leblanc Sr. recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds as well as providing quality rim protection for the Tigers. Gaines has also made an impact off the bench with his perimeter defense and playmaking ability.
“Eric Gaines is somebody that’s a low hanging fruit. He can really take us to another level,” Wade said. “You see how good he is defensively, but he can really help us offensively too.”
The return and resurgence of Darius Days was also a huge key for LSU during its win streak. Days suffered a knee injury during LSU’s game against Texas Tech that forced him to miss the rest of that game and the game against Alabama. Both games resulted in losses that highlighted Days’ importance to this LSU team. Days leads LSU in rebounding at 7.6 RPG and also can stretch the floor, shooting 41.3% from three. Days is a player that LSU must continue to get the most out of and he believes that trust from his teammates has been key for him.
“We’re just sharing the ball and trusting each other a lot more the last couple games,” Days said after the Auburn game. “They trust me to take these shots because we see each other work every day.”
As a team, adjustments on offense and getting everyone to understand their roles have been the biggest keys to LSU’s success down the stretch. Putting an emphasis on sharing the the ball and scoring in transition have been the most noticeable adjustments for LSU on offense, and Wade believes this has been key for his team.
“When teams adjusted, we needed to adjust,” Wade said. “Some of it is just a matter of me putting guys in better positions and making sure we’re adjusting to what other teams are doing.”
Getting everyone in the locker room on the same page and understanding their role was another key factor for Wade and his team that has made a noticeable difference on the court.
“I was very clear a couple of weeks ago about what everybody’s going to do,” Wade said. “Everybody is well aware of what the expectations are and what happens if the expectations aren’t met.”
It’s safe to say that these expectations were not met against Georgia. With the SEC tournament just two weeks away, it is imperative that LSU regroups and gets back to playing how it did in the previous three games. Although the loss against Georgia was a very disappointing one, this team has shown that it is capable of adjusting and coming back stronger, and at their best the Tigers can compete with anyone.