On the strength of its recent hot streak, the LSU basketball team has turned its season around and revived its NCAA Tournament aspirations.
Just three weeks ago, following a disastrous overtime loss at Ole Miss, LSU was all but out of NCAA consideration. The Tigers weren’t even being mentioned as a bubble contender, but after winning four of their last five games, LSU has vaulted itself back into prime position on the tournament bubble.
In ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracket Math, LSU is projected as one of the last four teams in the field, meaning the Tigers would have to win a play-in game to grab an 11 seed. CBS Sports, USA Today and SI.com also currently project LSU among the final few teams in.
Aided greatly by the win against highly ranked Kentucky, LSU moved up 11 spots and landed at No. 54 in the NCAA’s weekly Ratings Percentage Index update.
The Tigers are well within striking distance to grab an at-large bid, and their résumé is growing stronger as opponents like Missouri and Saint Joseph’s – two of LSU’s more impressive wins – have improved their RPIs as well.
With quality home wins in its back pockets, LSU’s next hurdle is simple – win road games.
After playing well in the season-opener at UMass and in the Old Spice Classic, playing outside of the PMAC has been a struggle lately.
The past two road trips to Oxford and Tuscaloosa each ended in heartbreak, and LSU’s only true road wins of the season came in unimpressive efforts against atrocious basketball teams – Texas Tech and South Carolina.
Now LSU will hit the road to play three of its next four games, starting Thursday at Georgia. With a visit from Auburn sandwiched between, the trips to Georgia and Texas A&M represent a golden opportunity for LSU to extend its winning streak heading into a brutal game at Arkansas.
Don’t discount the Hogs because of how LSU handled them on Saturday. Arkansas is a bad road team and is a completely different animal when it plays at home. Plus this time the Hogs will have the services of key reserves Michael Qualls and Alandise Harris, who didn’t play Saturday because of suspension.
But beyond the trips to Arkansas, Florida and Kentucky, there isn’t another game on the schedule LSU won’t be the favored team. The soft schedule creates an opportunity to pile up victories.
LSU can probably still make the tournament even if it doesn’t get a win at Florida or Kentucky. It’s far more important that it finishes the season without another ugly loss to a team it should beat.
A win at Florida or Kentucky would be a huge bonus, but it’s not a reasonable expectation.
That’s why they must take care of business against a soft part of the schedule. Another loss to a bad team would kill LSU’s RPI and leave it in the uncomfortable position of needing to win one of those two brutal road games to get into the tournament.
LSU has created momentum with crucial home victories that have reenergized its season and its fan base. But if the team can’t translate that success into victories on the road, its postseason hopes and fans will both be gone as quickly as they arrived.
James Moran is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Beacon, N.Y.