BATON ROUGE — The LSU men’s basketball team received a nice reward for a strong, aggressive two-hour practice on Tuesday as they were presented their 2005-06 rings commemorating a Southeastern Conference championship and a trip to the NCAA Final Four.
The Tigers received their rings from Head Coach John Brady and Associate Coach Butch Pierre in a small ceremony courtside at the Maravich Assembly Center following the team practice. Coach Brady thanked and welcomed a small group of supporters and friends of the program that included East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden and Coach Brady’s former college coach at Belhaven, Charlie Rugg, who accompanied the team to Indianapolis as a guest of his former player.
LSU was 27-9 a year ago and won the school’s ninth SEC championship with a 14-2 record. It was the second title for SEC Coach of the Year John Brady and the school’s first outright title since 1985. LSU defeated Iona, Texas A&M, No. 1-ranked Duke and nationally ranked Texas to advance to the school’s first Final Four in 20 years.
The Tigers open the 2006-07 season on Nov. 9 with the first of two exhibition games against EA Sports. The regular season opens on Nov. 17 against Nicholls State and that night the 2006 Final Four banner will be dropped from the rafters of the Maravich Center. LSU opens defense of its SEC title at Alabama on Jan. 9, 2007. Ticket packages for the 2006-07 season can be obtained online at www.LSUsports.net and at the LSU Athletics Ticket Office.
Coach Brady along with players Glen Davis and Darnell Lazare will travel to Birmingham, Ala., early Wednesday to take part in the opening session of the annual SEC Tipoff Basketball Media Days at the Birmingham Marriott.