After an astonishing comeback win over the No. 11 South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU men’s basketball turns its attention to the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats.
A spark of momentum could be just what the Tigers needed as they are facing their second ranked opponent on Wednesday at home. It wasn’t a pretty win on Sunday, but they got it done.
Here are some keys to victory against Kentucky:
Team basketball
The best basketball is team basketball. When you see players cutting, screening and passing, scoring becomes easier. While LSU has struggled to move the ball offensively, this is something that it’s going to need to do to win the game.
Running the plays and sets opens the floor on the offensive end. Instead of everyone being on the perimeter or the lanes becoming clogged, using the motion offense where someone is constantly moving helps generate quality shots.
Coach Matt McMahon has stressed before that the best way for them to score and overall win the game is to play team basketball. After the loss against Alabama on Feb. 10, he expressed the importance of ball movement.
“Every man for himself and that hadn’t been a good formula for us,” McMahon said. “I think our point guards had 10 assists at halftime, our point guards finished the game with 10 assists. We’re better when the ball moves and play a lot of team basketball.”
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LSU ranks No. 10 in the SEC for assists per game with 12. However, moving the ball and playing team basketball can lead to more points per game. Looking at teams such as Auburn, Kentucky, Alabama or Tennessee, they rank in the top five in points and assists.
It comes as no surprise that ball movement leads to points. And if LSU can show that it can get quality shots rather than isolation basketball then they will have success on Wednesday.
Rebound
Rebounding can change the game and one won’t notice until the game is over. Getting out-rebounded and allowing second-chance points can demolish a team. Basketball is a game of possessions and the more possessions a team has, the better chance they have of scoring.
LSU has been on the wrong side of the rebounding margin. The Tigers rank No. 215 in the country for rebound margin and No. 8 in the SEC for rebounds per game. Limiting those second chance opportunities not only limits points for the opposing team but can also create points for themselves.
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Being able to get rebounds and attack, whether that’s on a fast break or getting into their sets faster, will generate more scoring opportunities.
LSU already ranks in the top half of the SEC for points per game, but those extra possessions that it gives up by not securing rebounds can be the difference between a loss or a win.
Get to the free throw line
In their victory over South Carolina, the Tigers made nine out of their 14 attempts at the free throw line. While that is only 64%, getting to the free throw line allowed them to get back into the game.
Jordan Wright had a rough start against the Gamecocks but was able to get to the free throw line seven times and converted on six of them. Wright ended up finishing with 14 points and almost half of them came from the line.
Down the stretch, Wright had three free throws with less than a minute remaining which ended up being crucial in such a close game.
It’s a chance to slow the game down, get the team in foul trouble and earn more points. Also, when players are struggling to score, one of the best ways to get out of that drought is to see one go in at the free-throw line.
