Tough defense jolts Tigers past AU
Defense. Defense. Defense.
LSU head coach John Brady preaches it everyday. And as of late, the LSU basketball team has practiced it.
In their last three games, the Tigers (16-13, 6 10 Southeastern Conference) held their opponents to an average of 55 points per contest in losing to Georgia 55-54, defeating Ole Miss 59-56 and most recently, defeating Auburn on the road 59-54 over the weekend.
“The last three games have been some of the best defensive games that I have coached at LSU,” Brady said. “This team puts out great effort, and the defense won the game (Auburn) for us.”
LSU held their last three opponents to 40.1 percent shooting from the field and forced them to commit just over 15 turnovers per game.
“We have the mindset that no one is going to score on us,” said senior forward Jermaine Williams.
And in winning their past two games, the Tigers put themselves in a position to advance to the National Invitational Tournament and possibly host a first round game with a good showing in the SEC Tournament which begins Thursday when the Tigers take on Vanderbilt.
“We’ve been focusing on winning a certain amount of games to get to the NIT,” said sophomore guard Charlie Thompson of the defensive difference in the past three games. “People realized that if we won two out of our last three, then we would have a chance to go play postseason and I think everybody stepped up and played good defense.”
Brady knows a postseason appearance would mean a lot to his players.
“It would be a nice accomplishment for our players if something like that was to happen for them,” Brady said of the NIT. “That would be two postseason appearances in the last three years for us.”
In Saturday’s game against Auburn at the Beard Eaves Memorial Coliseum, LSU used an 18-3 run to put themselves ahead 30-14, and held a double-digit lead throughout most of the second half before holding off a late Auburn run.
Freshman guard Antonio Hudson led the Tigers in scoring with 16 points and junior guard Torris Bright shot three-of-four behind the arc to chip in with 15 points.
“Antonio Hudson showed that he belongs in this league,” Brady said of the freshman’s effort. “He came into this season playing a little casual on defense. But he has responded well which is why his minutes have gone up lately.”
The Tigers will head to the SEC tournament in Atlanta with their confidence high expecting to inflict some damage on the rest of the field.
“No one really blew us out outside of Florida and Mississippi State, and that was on the road” Williams said of the Tigers competition in Atlanta. “We’re going to have the opportunity to go in and play our game and defend and hopefully get a win.”
Also, news got even better for LSU Monday when it was announced that junior forward Ronald Dupree was named to the All-SEC second team as voted on by league coaches.
This is the second such honor for Dupree, who was named to the All-SEC third team last season.
LSU starts the SEC Tournament Thursday at 1 p.m. when it takes on the Commodores.
Dave Theard