Changing the culture and relevancy of a team doesn’t happen overnight.
It is a long process requiring a new leader, improved recruiting and a rising interest in fans to make the change a reality. LSU basketball has the first two requirements down, but it’s going to need students to help them on the third.
The Tigers have experienced a steady improvement since coach Johnny Jones arrived in Baton Rouge in 2012. With players like sophomore forwards Jordan Mickey and Jarrell Martin returning and a stout recruiting class coming in, things are lining up for LSU to take the next step to the NCAA tournament.
The one thing LSU currently lacks is support from the fans. The recent attendance numbers at the PMAC, particularly in the student section, are an embarrassment. Considering the size of the school and the improvements the Tigers have made on the court, there are no excuses for not showing up.
Any full-time student can get into LSU basketball games for free, which is a luxury most schools don’t permit. The school is literally letting you view college basketball games live and for no charge. If you have any interest in the sport, it would be moronic not to go.
Some say LSU is a “football and baseball school” and most fans simply don’t think about basketball. But LSU fans have shown in the past they can get excited for the right game.
Think back to LSU’s upset win against Kentucky last season, perhaps the only game the student section was completely full in 2014. Wildcat stars Julius Randle and Willie Cauley-Stein were held to nine combined points in part due to the raucous atmosphere in the PMAC.
A better example would be going back to the early 2000s, when John Brady coached the Tigers and the PMAC actually sold out games. Fans helped the Tigers compete in a Southeastern Conference much stronger than it is today, and LSU even beat a No. 1 Arizona team in 2002.
Brady led those teams to NCAA tournament appearances four times, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2000 and a Final Four berth in 2006. It’s the type of success Jones has been working toward.
Imagining a world where LSU routinely makes the tournament is currently only a pipe dream, but all it takes is the first tournament berth. If the Tigers can make the tournament this season, the experience can be the groundwork for future teams to have similar success.
The difference between an NCAA tournament team and LSU in recent years is consistency. LSU has proven it can beat top-ranked teams to spruce its tournament résumé. What we haven’t seen is a persistent ability to beat average teams to stay near the top of the SEC.
This is where the fans come in. When LSU struggles against those average teams and need a jolt, an electric student section can provide it. You don’t become great fans by supporting the team in its best wins, you do it by being there for the team’s greatest survivals.
The Tigers play an exhibition Friday and begin their regular season a week later. The nonconference schedule includes important games against Texas Tech and UMass, so support will be vital from the beginning.
There’s no rule saying LSU can’t be a football, baseball and basketball school. That’s something only the fans can decide.