Talking Points
“Last year we had some 6-4 guys out there guarding 6-10 guys. This year, we’ll have 6-10 guys guarding 6-10 guys.” – LSU head coach Will Wade
Size made the difference when LSU and Alabama squared off a season ago. In the two matchup between the Tide and the Tigers, Avery Johnson’s squad outscored Wade’s in the paint by 18 points, 54-36, and outrebounded them 72-57.
Wade joked last week that if the two teams had played 10 times a year ago, LSU might not have won a single one, and added that Alabama probably had to replace their rims after dunking so much in an 80-65 win in Tuscaloosa.
But this is a new-look LSU, with six new players in an eight-man rotation, including four bigs – Naz Reid, Kavell Bigby-Williams, Darius Days, and Emmitt Williams – as well as lengthier wings in Ja’Vonte Smart and Marlon Taylor.
How the Tigers cope with the size of Alabama – 46th in the nation and fifth in the SEC in average height – will be critical to the outcome. Wade said Days, a power forward for most of the season, will get extended looks at the 3, where he’s played just 15 possessions all season, according to Open Look Analytics.
“We’ll be with Kavell who’s 6-11 and long and Naz and Emmitt,” Wade said. “We’ll be bigger at the three with Days. We have some guys that can hopefully get in there and bang around a little bit better than we did last season.”
Number Crunching
1.148 vs. 1.114
The remedy for LSU’s offense mid-way through December was to pound the paint and play inside-out.
It’s hard to imagine that will change, but an uptick in tempo might be a point of strength against the Tide.
Consider these two figures: LSU scores 1.148 points per transition possession, 55th in the nation and fifth best in the SEC, according to Synergy.
Alabama, meanwhile, gives up 1.114 points per transition possession, 312th in the nation and last in the SEC.
Opponents also shoot 56.4% effective field goal in the first 10 seconds after a rebound against Alabama, as opposed to 46.7% after 11 seconds, according to Hoop-Math.com.
Matched Up
Tremont Waters vs. Kira Lewis
Bigby-Williams vs. Donta Hall comes in a close second, but I’m eager to watch Waters, a preseason first-team All-SEC pick, go back-and-forth with Lewis, a 17-year-old early enrollee who should be a high school senior and is the youngest D1 player in the country.
Lewis’ game doesn’t reflect his youth. He’s an outstanding two-way player who shoots 40 percent from 3 on offense and gives up just 0.772 points per possession as the primary defender defensive, per Synergy, the best figure in Alabama’s rotation.
The lights are on.
The competition is fierce.
SEC play begins today.
Let’s make a statement‼️ pic.twitter.com/CKzTq7qcGk— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) January 8, 2019
Waters, meanwhile, is finding his groove after a rocky start to the season, averaging 16 points and 7 assists per game in LSU’s last three outings. More importantly, he’s sported a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio in that stretch, while forcing 12 steals as the Tigers’ point of attack on defense.
“It was just an adjustment for him being around a bunch of new guys,” Wade said. “At the end of the day we have an eight-man rotation. We’re playing six guys that didn’t play together last year. We have some junior college kids and some freshmen. Skylar (Mays) and Tre are the only two who played together. We tried to play some pick-up and do some things to enhance the growth process, but it just has to happen. It won’t happen overnight. I think Tremont has a much better feel for where he fits in and how all the pieces fit together. His comfort level has allowed him to play better. I think he’ll continue to play better as we move into the SEC.”
The length and youth of Lewis against the quickness and craft of Waters should be fun to monitor.
Final Word
Home Court Advantage
“We have to win games and we certainly have to win home games. That’s the most important part. I thought Alabama did a great job of protecting its home court against Kentucky. It was a great crowd. That’s the number one thing. Last year we got off to a slow start at home in league play so we need to protect our home court. You’ve got to dig out what you can on the road, but we need to do a good job of setting the tone. Any team that’s going to compete in any league, especially the SEC, has to be very good at home and has to be very tough at home.” – LSU head coach Will Wade on the importance of winning at home in league play