The LSU men’s basketball season is officially over.
LSU coach Johnny Jones announced the program decided not to participate in a postseason tournament, the program revealed Sunday evening via a news release.
The Tigers were officially ruled out of the NCAA Tournament moments before the program’s announcement, ending their chance to compete in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time in a decade.
“As a season, we’ve have some great ups,” Jones said after the Tigers’ 33-point demolishment by No. 17 Texas A&M in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinal. “Any time you end the way we did today, you’re very disappointed.”
Jones led a memorable and youthful squad, including SEC Freshman of the Year Ben Simmons, to 19-14 overall record and an 11-7 mark in the SEC.
Jones said the non-participation, which was a decision made Sunday after Jones consulted with fellow members of LSU’s coaching staff and the team, in a postseason tournament allows the Tigers to refocus and straighten the faults accrued during an unfulfilling season.
“We will be able to utilize this time to get better and start preparations for next season,” Jones said. “We fell short of the mark of getting to the NCAA Tournament. I take full responsibility for this team.”
LSU stated the loss of Keith Hornsby to season-ending hernia surgery last week and Antonio Blakeney’s flu-like illness were determining factors to its self-imposed postseason absence.
“That also factored into our decision,” Jones said.
LSU’s primary goal, which junior guard Tim Quarterman said was to win the SEC Tournament on Saturday, was derailed after its historic 71-38 loss to the Aggies on the same day.
LSU’s 38 points against the Aggies were the program’s second lowest in history and the lowest for the Tigers in the conference tournament’s history.
The loss leaves LSU empty-handed with many questions to answer in the near future, one of which it answered by voiding any postseason invitation.
The Tigers’ inability to score against the Aggies set them with a decision to accept, or decline, a bid to the NIT — their once-destined postseason landing zone since three-straight losses to Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas on Feb. 17-23.
“It’s been a hard year,” Quarterman said. “It’s difficult knowing the losses we had, we could’ve done a lot without them. We let those get away, and it’s come back to haunt us.”
It’s next question regards the future of players such as Quarterman, Simmons and Blakeney.
Simmons, the likely No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, reminisced the moments of happiness after LSU’s season ended in utter sadness, confusion and exclusion on Saturday.
Simmons finished the game with his 23rd double-double this season, tying Kevin Love for third most in Division I history by a freshman.
He’s enjoyed his first, and possibly only, season as a Tiger, he said.
“I want to play with this team for as long as I can,” Simmons said. “These guys are like brothers to me. I don’t want to leave.”
When asked after the game about his future, Quarterman deflected the question and said he was “focused on winning the tournament” and hadn’t thought about the NBA’s upcoming draft in late June.
“It’s all emotions,” Quarterman said, “a lot to look forward to, too.”
Blakeney, the final NBA-type talent this season, is expected to remain with the Tigers for at least one more season, a source told The Daily Reveille.
Senior guards Josh Gray, Henry Shortess and Hornsby will all depart on graduating terms.
“It is primarily now my responsibility to begin working and preparing our players for the prospects that lie ahead,” Jones said.
As of today, LSU has signed five three-star recruits, according to 247sports.com, entering the program next season — forward Duop Reath, guard Branden Jenkins, forward Wayde Sims, guard Skylar Mays and guard Kieran Hayward.
“[We] will do the things necessary to make sure we are able to reach one of our main goals at LSU in the future,” Jones said.