Entering the 2015-16 season, the LSU men’s basketball team was ranked in the top 25 of both preseason polls for the first time in nine years, and fans exuded plenty of optimism about the Tigers’ postseason prospects.
With three highly-touted freshmen, joining an overall young but talented group of returners, it was hard not to believe coach Johnny Jones’ club had a higher ceiling than normal. But Jones always knew growing pains would reveal themselves in someway.
After a 3-0 start, growing pains turned into growing worries. Following two grueling losses in Brooklyn, New York, at the Legends Classic and a 12-point defeat against the College of Charleston on Monday, LSU’s margin for error already shrunk as they take on a challenging University of North Florida team at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the PMAC.
Jones thought the Tigers could be 6-0 up to this point but proved they aren’t quite ready to be among the elite, especially without senior guard Keith Hornsby and redshirt sophomore forward Craig Victor II.
“This year, for whatever reason, we found ourselves in the preseason top-25,” Jones said at his Tip-off Luncheon on Tuesday. “But I thought it was something that was possibly given to us because of what had transpired the year before — the team that we had, the guys that was a part of that basketball team.
“This basketball team definitely hadn’t earned the right really to be a top-25 team. Not saying we won’t become that, but we were really living off of somebody else’s dime and what they had done.”
The Tigers (3-3) were the favorite in all three losses, especially against the College of Charleston, which was picked to finish ninth in the Colonial Athletic Conference. But the nonconference losses sting more because LSU’s strength of schedule, according to ESPN, is ranked 300th out of 351 eligible teams. Moreover, all three opponents are ranked 141st or lower in ESPN’s Rating Percentage Index, which are rankings likely to move up or down this season.
For junior guard Tim Quarterman, the frustrating part was not being in position to win late against the Cougars.
“In New York, even though we were down, we kept fighting and fought hard in those games,” Quarterman said at a media session Tuesday. “We at least had a chance to win at the end of those games. I think last night, we didn’t even have a chance down the stretch.”
It’s still early, and the Tigers could potentially soften the blow with a strong showing in their final six nonconference games, five of which are at home, before the start of Southeastern Conference play. But a win against the Ospreys (6-2) is far from a cakewalk as the team from Jacksonville, Florida, is No. 6 nationally in three-point percentage.
Part of LSU’s biggest problem against the Cougars, especially in the first half, is the exact opposite of North Florida — the Tigers simply couldn’t score from behind the arc, shooting just 5-of-23. Not only that, but LSU turned it over 19 times total, including seven from freshman forward Ben Simmons.
To make matters worse, neither freshman guards Antonio Blakeney nor Brandon Sampson hit a shot from the field.
“One of our biggest strengths is the way that we can shoot the ball,” Jones said. “Who would have thought that last night two of our freshmen, who are keys players, would go 0-for-12 from the field?”
Quarterman credits the offensive woes to lack of patience.
“Shot selection plays a big part,” Quarterman said. “Just not swinging the ball as many times as we have to. We’ve been taking a lot of quick shots as a team and taking a lot of bad shots.”
As the Tigers quickly try to rebound — with Hornsby and Victor II returning in the coming weeks — Hornsby said the new learning lesson is to never take any team for granted, especially on the road.
“They didn’t care who we were when we came in there,” Hornsby said. “They expected to win the whole time. It’s a hit on us, but it’s also embarrassing, how we responded to them. It was a valuable lesson last night, yet another one. First true away game. It’s tough to play on the road, and they should understand that now, knowing that there will only be crazier situations.”