By Kent Lowe
Special to LSUsports.net
Youll pardon me if I dont get too overly excited over the victory over Oklahoma State last week at the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans.
Now dont get me wrong. For this program, at this particular time, this was a most important win. Frankly, when this season is done, we may look back at that victory over the 11th-ranked Cowboys as one of the most important wins the program has had in years.
But how important the win over Oklahoma State is will be proven in the week ahead. Will LSU be ahead to take what it achieved in New Orleans and put it in to play when it faces its first two SEC tests at the Assembly Center this week?
Will LSU players accept the winning as expected and treat the big win as too important and forget to show up this week for the games (for example, take the Alcorn game coming off the tournament title in Hawaii)?
The game again showed that this team can play with the better teams and hopefully they realize how important every game from here on how is.
Ive looked back at what Ive written so far and maybe what I said at the beginning is just too harsh. Of course, Im excited about LSU winning. Maybe Im more excited about how the LSU fans came to the New Orleans Arena and really drove the team home. In wasnt just four or five people in the front row, yelling things my mother would blush at, it was the majority of 12,000 fans working together, pulling for a victory many hoped for, but only dreamed about. Kind of like the old days.
Amazing, we have to go to Shreveport and New Orleans to get good crowds these days. Oh well, another subject for another time. But lets just say, the crowd in New Orleans was as good as Ive seen in a long time. By the way, thanks to those Kentucky fans who threw some cheers in to help the SEC get a sweep of the evenings activities.
While the win may or may not put the Tigers in the polls (you just never know with these voters), it has given this team a tremendous amount of confidence. But as Ron Thulin discussed with Coach Brady on the post-game Fox interview, its just one win and one must look ahead to the start of the SEC.
The point Coach Brady has always driven home is that this team must learn to play with success. Its part of the building process of bringing this program back to where its been that weve talked about before. The win over Oklahoma State and the 12-0 start are great for this program and people are starting to take notice, but it doesnt mean that the Tigers are all the way back.
There are still two more years of sanctions to go through and limited scholarships that are going to mean a lot of ups and downs before the program gets even with everyone else in Coach Bradys sixth year. Its something to remember to enjoy the success and understand that each win doesnt mean a Final Four and every loss doesnt mean the end of the program at this point and time.
So what does the 12-0 start mean. Well with a 17 regular season games left it means three wins will give the Tigers a winning record entering the SEC Tournament. So that shows you how far this team has come in Bradys tenure. The 12 wins equals all of last years win total. The Tigers won four SEC games last year. If LSU equals that this year, then the pre-season media goal of 16 wins is achieved.
The key this year is how LSU will do in its eight conference home games with two starting this week. Its very important, I know Ive said it many times, to protect the home turf. If LSU can improve on its 4-4 record at home in the league this year, that will be another step in the right direction. If LSU can get two wins on the road (difficult, but possible), then the Tigers are looking in the 17-plus win category going in to the SEC Tournament.
That means post-season play is a definite possibility for this team. Wouldnt that be wonderful? But its much to early to think about that because if players and coaches get to thinking too much about the future, the present will send the good feelings of this season crashing back to earth.
Before we go, some random thoughts on what weve seen so far:
The thing most impressive thing about what Ive seen so far, is that when the big game comes around, there has been someone on this team to answer the call when necessary. When Brian Beshara and Torris Bright put LSU in business some nights with their three-point shooting, both couldnt quite get the shots going against Oklahoma State. No problem. Lamont Roland stepped up to deliver the crushing blows to the Cowboys.
When the Tigers need to go inside, Stromile Swift and Jabari Smith have impressed everyone. What I like most is the fact that Smith has the ability to pass it out to an open player for the assist, even when not given the chance to score as often as he likes. That may be an advantage when defenses begin to collapse more and more on the inside.
LSU has two home games this week, two road games next week. If LSU is 2-2 after those four games, Ill feel pretty good about things. If LSU can get three wins out of the first four games…well there I go getting ahead of myself.
So for sure, 1999 certainly ended with a bang. Heres hoping the Y2K bug doesnt hit LSU this week. Enjoy the games!!!!