By Kent Lowe
LSUsports.net
Just when you thought the LSU basketball team had proved all it could prove for a while, boom, there they go and prove something else again.
Last week in Houston, the Tigers had an eight-point halftime lead, watched Houston tie the game and take a four-point lead, and then rallied to win on a driving, off-the-glass lay up with less than a second to play.
It was a game this LSU team could win, but then again one it probably would have lost a couple of years ago. It was a game, in which LSU would lead and lose the lead, never to be heard from again that evening.
But this was different. LSU and its players seemed to know what to keep trying until it finally worked. Brian Beshara wasn’t hitting his shots; Torris Bright wasn’t playing one of his better games. In the end, those two were the ones who sent some 500-plus LSU fans in its ever-growing road patrol home happy.
Okay, it doesn’t mean that this season will be as good as last year. But what it does mean is that maybe this team shouldn’t be completely taken for granted. Those of us, who eagerly said wait until a future year for another postseason trip, are rethinking our strategy. I still think when all is said and done, 14 will be the over/under number for wins on this team, but I’m beginning to think that may be a little low. But it’s way to early to tell.
Lamont Roland had a career game against Houston and certainly showed that he can still stroke the basketball. We applaud his defensive skills on many occasions and well we should because he has improved his game in that regard tremendously. What he may have forgotten is that he is a tremendous scorer and he showed that against Houston. When he is on, he is another valuable weapon. As we saw the first two games, when his shot isn’t working, he can also be a very valuable distributor of the basketball. Which is more important, I’m not sure, but it is a good combination to depend on.
So the Tigers win the first three games and face three at home. Tonight it’s Texas Southern and Wednesday, McNeese State. Now, here’s a question we’ve posed every year around this time. How does this LSU team deal with success? Remember, the team last year, did not play very well coming out of the exam break and the tournaments wins in Hawaii. Well, here we are again. The Tigers are coming off the big victory and break for finals, which in the case of the Texas Southern game, will be played hours after the team finishes the last of the exams.
So if LSU isn’t careful, there is a chance for mental brain lock. You can bet John Brady and the coaching staff will do all they can to prep this team to be ready for these two games.
The chance is there to begin to make a little noise with some more wins. Again, the picture is laid out pretty clearly for the Tigers to see. Now if the team can just take advantage of the situation.
It’s so easy to see, but sometimes so difficult to grasp. The one thing that isn’t difficult to grasp whether you are an accomplished basketball fan or just someone who grasps the rules enough to know that dribbling and shooting are allowed, is that this is going to be an exciting team to watch. If you couldn’t find something exciting about the game with Houston to enjoy, then you probably fill your kids stockings with lumps of coal for the holidays.
This is going to be a fun team to watch and I hope over the next couple of weeks you will come and see for yourself what I’m talking about. They play hard, they are talented and I think we haven’t really been giving them enough credit for the talent they do have.
Now granted, the scholarship restrictions have limited the number of scholarship players on this team, no doubt about it and those six guys are going to have to play lots and lots of minutes. But, and it’s a big but, if this team can stay away from further injuries, then a lot of interesting things could be ahead for LSU.
But for right now it’s Texas Southern and McNeese State and that’s more than enough to worry about. As always, enjoy the games!!!!