Riding a wave of five straight Southeastern Conference victories, the LSU men’s basketball team is confident it will receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“I think based on what our team has done lately, we deserve to go to the NCAA Tournament,” said head coach John Brady. “We should be in the NCAA Tournament.”
One month ago, LSU was all but out of a chance to receive a NCAA bid.
The first time the Tigers played Alabama on Feb. 1, they were in last place of the SEC West with a 1-5 record and were on a four-game losing streak.
Alabama rolled over LSU 75-66, handing the Tigers a fifth-straight loss, and the hopes of even a National Invitational Tournament bid seemed bleak.
But since then, the Tigers managed to amass a 6-2 SEC record and finished the regular season tied for second place in the SEC West after beating Alabama on Saturday 66-62.
“I’m excited,” said Ronald Dupree. “We felt if we could get these last games, we could get into the tournament. There’s no doubt — we are in.”
The NCAA selection committee will meet Sunday, March 16 to determine the field of 65 teams that make up this season’s 2003 NCAA Tournament.
With a 19-9 overall record and an 8-8 SEC record, the Tigers are considered a bubble team, but they exude confidence and think there is little chance they will miss out on March Madness.
“An 8-8 record in the SEC is a definite,” said senior Collis Temple III. “It would have been a strong possibility that we wouldn’t have gone if we were 7-9. But now that we’re 8-8, I see no way that we can’t go.”
Senior guard Torris Bright said reaching the NCAA Tournament was a goal the seniors set after reaching the tournament their freshman season in 2000.
“This is a part of our dream,” Bright said. “Making it to the tournament is great. If we didn’t, we’d be upset. Now we’re just hoping to play to the best of our ability and go deep in the tournament.”
Last season, LSU finished the regular season 16-13. After winning two of three in the SEC Tournament, the Tigers received a NIT bid, where they won the first at Iowa 63-61 before losing at home to Ball State 75-65.
The Tigers have reached the Big Dance only once in the past 10 seasons. The 2000 LSU basketball team won the SEC title and ventured into the Sweet 16 before being ousted by Wisconsin 61-48 in Albuquerque, N.M.
Led by Stromile Swift and Jabari Smith, LSU accumulated a 25-4 regular season record and received a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
In 1988, LSU went only 15-12 in the regular season but still managed to receive a NCAA Tournament bid to make its fifth-consecutive appearance.
Bright, Temple, Dupree and Brad Bridgewater were freshmen the last time LSU reached the Big Dance, and Dupree said there is something special about the tournament experience.
“It gives a lot of exposure for your school,” Dupree said. “Everyone in the country is able to see us play. There is so much hype from the first round to the championship game. It’s the hype that surrounds every game. That’s what I love about it.”
LSU dominated its last four opponents entering the Alabama game, beating Arkansas by 19, Auburn by 31, Tennessee by 21 and Ole Miss by 13.
“A team is always remembered by what they accomplish,” Dupree said. “It’s great to finish on a high in the regular season. We beat some great teams the last five games, and we’re not letting up. We’re looking to go as far as we can.”