Both LSU basketball programs enter February still with a lot to play for.
LSU women’s hoops has faced recent adversity after consecutive losses to South Carolina and Mississippi State, but the rest of the regular season remains critical for seeding in the SEC and NCAA Tournament.
For LSU men’s basketball, the Tigers enter the final stretch of the season at 11-9 and still have hope alive for some kind of postseason play. Making the NCAA Tournament remains a sizable mountain to climb for LSU, but the Tigers still have a chance to stack a few SEC wins and finish in the top half of the conference.
Our LSU men’s and women’s basketball beat writers at The Reveille got together to discuss what’s new with the two teams and the outlook for the rest of the season.
READ MORE: LSU women’s basketball drops second straight game with 77-73 loss to Mississippi State
Is it time to hit the panic button for LSU women’s basketball after consecutive losses?
Tyler Harden: I don’t think this team will ever have to hit the panic button. Including the South Carolina game, all their problems have been internal. Everything seems to stem off of lack of depth; defensive stamina, foul trouble and lack of consistent shooting and overall production.
The teams that have defeated LSU weren’t necessarily more talented teams overall, but just had the better game and the resources to be able to play a full game at a high level.
LSU will always be a team, talent wise, that can play at a high level, but it will always be hard with a seven-player rotation. There won’t be a point where they need to hit the panic button, but something will have to give in order to meet their full potential.
Tre Allen: Not yet but a change needs to be made. I think something that has been overlooked the most is the lack of defensive intensity. Kim Mulkey has emphasized that they need to be better on defense.
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There have been too many times when the opposing team has wide-open looks and that is something that can’t happen. Also on offense, things get too stagnant. This is a very talented team but I do feel like they force up shots or don’t move the ball enough which gets them deep into the shot clock and have to force something. I wouldn’t mind seeing someone like Hailey Van Lith, Aneesah Morrow or even Mikaylah Williams being moved to the bench to get some extra help.
Jason Willis: The season isn’t over, but there’s reason to doubt there will be another deep postseason run. The side of the ball that needs work is the defense. LSU’s starting lineup defensively isn’t inherently bad—even Reese has made strides as a rim protector—but the effort and discipline hasn’t been there. Fouls have hindered them, as well.
Given the gauntlet that lies ahead, how critical is the Arkansas game for the men’s team?
Jason Willis: It’s important to get a win here and stop a three-game skid. No matter how tough the opponents were, no one likes lengthy losing streaks, and it’s unbecoming of an aspiring tournament team.
LSU would be lucky to be in single-digit games with both Tennessee and Alabama, let alone win, so getting this game before those two is important, especially with it being against a winnable opponent.
Ultimately, if LSU wants to be in the NCAA Tournament (still within the realm of possibility if the team gets hot) or even the NIT, these are the types of games it should win, and if LSU does it in impressive fashion, it will be a good sign going forward.
Tre Allen: It is extremely crucial to win this game against Arkansas. LSU has already improved a lot since last season but still has a long way to go. With a game like this where Arkansas is extremely talented on paper but hasn’t exactly translated that into wins.
If LSU can go into this hard stretch of games with confidence or momentum by beating Arkansas at home, then it might be able to steal a game against Tennessee, Kentucky or South Carolina.
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What did we learn about LSU women’s basketball in the loss to South Carolina?
Tyler Harden: We learned a couple of things in LSU’s loss to South Carolina. First, we learned what Mulkey’s mindset is when it comes to bench options, and it doesn’t seem very confident.
Two players came off the bench in a game where four of five starters had multiple fouls. If this game was a postseason matchup, that problem may be more emphasized, and it’s a matter of time before the Tigers may be faced with a situation just like this in the postseason.
This was most seen within the team’s perimeter defense. With lack of options to resort to late in the game, South Carolina started knocking down 3-pointers when it mattered most. In a game where LSU’s defense was solid overall, the lack of depth to continue defending strongly was the only blemish that may say otherwise. We also learned that this team’s fast starts are often key to continuing to play at a high level throughout the game.
LSU led three of four quarters against South Carolina. Now, against the No. 1 team in the country, losing the game is obviously still a possibility. But having momentum from the start of the game may throw a team off track, and the talent the Tigers have may make it harder for the opposing team to gather themselves.
Tre Allen: A lot of players went quiet in that game. The best player for LSU in that game was Angel Reese. She was the most consistent all night and was keeping them in the game. Morrow had 10 points in the first quarter then only scored 6 for the rest of the game.
Williams started solid in the first half as well but down the stretch, she looked lost and took many bad shots along with Van Lith. There was no go-to scorer when things were getting close and especially with a team like South Carolina you need someone to take over.
Jason Willis: We learned that South Carolina and LSU are both very, very good basketball teams. I don’t think the loss was cause for too much concern. In fact, I think it’s a good sign that the gap between the two programs has closed. If LSU hadn’t missed South Carolina in last year’s tournament, they might not be national champions.
The men’s team is lacking production in the frontcourt. What could be the answer?
Jason Willis: Will Baker and Jalen Reed are both solid, well-rounded scorers, but their lack of physicality has made them very easy for opposing defenses to scheme out of games. It seems like one of them will go on a run, score a few baskets in a row, and then disappear for the rest of the game.
Hunter Dean and Derek Fountain are more limited offensively, but they make the easy plays – and that’s really the blueprint to get the frontcourt going. If the team can get back to Jalen Cook pick-and-rolls with Baker and Reed, something they seem to have lost recently, they’ll generate more easy looks, which will hopefully get them going and playing with more confidence.
Tre Allen: To get the bigs and forwards more involved they need to find mismatches for them. The frontcourt is very limited offensively and physically and a way to get them more production is finding ways to exploit the mismatches.
Pick and roll with Fountain who is more gifted athletically or Baker who stands tall at 7 feet 1 inch will be a start. Also not having them do too much on offense and getting the ball down low, using one move to go up will generate faster offense.
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How long will the women’s team be able to get away with only playing six or seven players?
Tyler Harden: The South Carolina game answered a lot of questions when it comes to the team’s lack of depth; in games as big as that one, who does Mulkey look to? Now, that wasn’t necessarily a game that Mulkey would use to experiment with the bench, but it shows who has gotten into the category of a consistent option off the bench.
This weakness will be most visible in the postseason, when there will be other teams that can play the full length of the game the way they started. When LSU got in foul trouble against South Carolina, that may have been the difference between winning and losing games. In games in SEC play, LSU’s sheer talent will most likely be enough, and maybe in the first couple rounds of the NCAA Tournament as well.
But in the later rounds of the NCAA Tournament, when the Tigers are faced with teams comparable to South Carolina, depth will be one thing the opposing team has over LSU, and once again, that could be the difference between winning and advancing or losing and seeing the end of the season.
Tre Allen: It’s a tough decision because Mulkey has voiced that there are some games where she simply can’t put on the bench due to them being so young and inexperienced. It has shown multiple times this season where one, two or even three starters either have an off night or get in foul trouble and Mulkey has no choice but to put them in the game and the bench can’t keep up.
I think it’s too deep into the season to put in the younger players with all crucial games left. If she wants to use the bench more, I think she can implement the bench earlier in games to get her starters some rest and maintain their fouls.
Jason Willis: Maybe not for much longer, at least not against good teams. LSU made it impressively competitive with South Carolina despite the lack of depth, but, ultimately, it makes the margin of error thinner. It’s simple math: fewer players means fewer options to fall back on when someone doesn’t have it going. The lack of discipline the team has had lately with fouls hasn’t made the issue any better.
What young players are showing the most promise for LSU men’s basketball?
Tre Allen: Freshman Mike Williams is the first player that comes to mind. He is starting to figure things out and is becoming a reliable option on offense. His 3-point shooting has continued to improve as he is shooting 44% over the last six games.
You can see his confidence rising with him taking more shots as the season goes on. His role right now is more of a catch-and-shoot as Jordan Wright and Cook are the first options but I can see him being that third scorer in the future.
Jason Willis: Definitely second on Williams, and nod to his defense as well. Other than him, I’d look at sophomore Tyrell Ward. He’s easily LSU’s best shooter, automatic from the corners. His shot is NBA-ready.
On defense, Ward’s length makes it pretty impossible for him not to be a plus defender, although his impact comes and goes. He often gets his hand in on an opposing drive and comes up with a steal. It remains to be seen how his offensive game can expand as a ball handler, but he’s got a solid foundation.
