LSU Tigers
Head Coach: Johnny Jones 270-202 (.572) overall; 65-40 (.619) in his 4th season at LSU
Record this season: 8-5, 1-0 SEC (7-1 at home)
Schedule
11/13/15 MCNEESE ST. W 81-70
11/16/15 KENNESAW STATE W 91-69
11/19/15 SOUTH ALABAMA W 78-66
11/23/15 vs Marquette L 80-81
11/24/15 vs N.C. State LOT 72-83
11/30/15 at Col. of Charleston L 58-70
12/02/15 NORTH FLORIDA W 119-108
12/13/15 at Houston LOT 98-105
12/16/15 GARDNER-WEBB W 78-57
12/19/15 ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY W 100-77
12/22/15 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY W 79-51
12/29/15 WAKE FOREST L 71-77
01/02/16 at Vanderbilt W 90-82
Game info
01/05/16 Kentucky at LSU
Maravich Center, Baton Rouge, La., 9:00 pm EST, TV: ESPN
Probable Starters
F 25 SIMMONS, Ben 6-10 240 Fr 20.5pts*, 13.1reb*, 5.4ast*, 1.33blk*2.07stl*, .333 3fg
F 32 VICTOR II, Craig 6-9 235 So, 13.4pts, 5.0reb, 1.0ast, .333 3fg
G 04 HORNSBY, Keith 6-4 210 Sr, 17.5pts, 2.2reb, 2.0ast, .452 3fg*
G 02 BLAKENEY, Antonio 6-4 190 Fr, 9.8pts, 3.2reb, 1.2ast, .281 3fg
G 55 QUARTERMAN, Tim 6-6 190 Jr, 11.4pts, 4.8reb, 3.5ast, .327 3fg
Key Reserves
G 05 GRAY, Josh 6-1 177 Sr, 8.1pts, 2.8reb, 2.4ast, .294 3fg
G 00 SAMPSON, Brandon 6-5 186 Fr, 7.2pts, 1.9reb, 1.2ast, .326 3fg
F 21 EPPS, Aaron 6-9 220 So, 5.8pts, 3.0reb, .200 3fg
G 15 PATTERSON, Jalyn 6-1 185 So, 5.1pts, 2.1ast, .333 3fg
C 03 ROBINSON III, Elbert 7-1 290 So, 3.7pts, 2.8reb, no 3pt threat
F 20 BRIDGEWATER, Brian 6-5 282 Jr, 3.5pts, 3.0reb, no 3pt threat
* = leads team in this category
Team Stats
Points per game 84.2
Points allowed 76.6
Scoring margin +7.6
Field goal pct .477
FG% allowed .434
3-point FG pct .319
3pt fg% allowed .361
Free throw pct .673
Rebounds per game 39.0
Rebounds allowed 38.6
Rebounding margin +0.4
Assists per game 17.1
Turnovers per game 12.0
Turnover margin +3.7
Assist/turnover ratio 1.4
Steals per game 9.2
Blocks per game 4.1
Analysis: The first 12 games of the season were pretty much a nightmare for the folks in Baton Rouge. In fact, until that big road win over Vanderbilt on Saturday, LSU had not beaten any team rated higher than #132 North Florida, which was a home game in which LSU allowed 108 points. That road win over Vandy is the highlight of the season so far, and one could argue that the Commodores simply aren’t the team they were when Luke Kornet was healthy.
Having said all of this, it must be noted that LSU was without 2 very key players for the first 7 or 8 games of this season. Keith Hornsby missed the first 7 games, and he is LSU’s best overall guard and top 3pt threat by far. Since he’s returned, he’s averaged 17.5 points per game while shooting 45.2% from 3pt range. The Tigers have also been missing a key interior player in Craig Victor II for the first 8 games of the year. Since he’s been back, he’s averaged 13.4 points and 5.0 rebounds. Take 2 of the top 3 players off any team and they will likely struggle. So, LSU is better than their record would indicate.
And you can rest assured that the Maravich Center will be rocking tonight, with an 7:00 local start time, ESPN in the house, and Kentucky coming to call. This is the biggest home game of the season for LSU, as we all know. Our boys better be ready for a fight because it’s gonna be a tough game tonight.
The LSU Tigers are led by a guy we all have been hearing about all season in freshman phenom Ben Simmons. The 6-10 240lb freshman forward is probably the closest thing to a Lebron James type of player that college basketball has seen in some time. He does a bit of everything for LSU. He leads them in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, blocks, free throw attempts and makes, and minutes played on the season. He’s the only player who has started all 13 games on the season. The only thing he doesn’t do much is shoot the 3, though I’m sure he could do that if he wanted. Needless to say, UK’s first priority will be to try to slow Simmons down. We won’t be able to stop him, but if we can make him give up the ball and force someone else to score, we’ll be doing well. Joining Simmons in the frontcourt is Craig Victor II, a 6-9 235 forward who has definitely been taking some pressure off Simmons since his return 5 games ago. Since he’s been playing, he’s 2nd in rebounding and 3rd in scoring. If nothing else, he gives them another big body and another guy for Simmons to find underneath for dunks and lay-ups after he’s drawn the defense.
In the backcourt, LSU is led by a couple upperclassmen in Sr Keith Hornsby and Jr Tim Quarterman. Hornsby is the better shooter and scorer of the two, averaging 17.5pts per game and shooting a team leading 45.2% from 3pt range. If he has space, he’s likely knocking it down. He also gets to the line well and shoots 86% from there. Quarterman is a long 6-6 guard who is basically playing like a point guard, though LSU doesn’t really have a true pg starting. He’s a guy who does a little bit of everything as well and he’s a multi-year starter for the Tigers. He scores 11.4 points but also rebounds well and is second on the team in assists. Joining the 2 veterans in the starting line-up is a talented freshman Antonio Blakeney who basically came as a package deal with Simmons. Blakeney has some talent but he’s been a bit shaky during several games this season. He’s only shooting 28% from 3 on the year and averaging 9.8 points. Before the return of Hornsby he was desperately needed, but he struggled at times.
Coming off the bench for the Tigers are a bunch of guys who have nearly all started at one time or another season, while Jones was trying to stop the bleeding and find a line-up to put around Simmons that could win some games. In the frontcourt, Aaron Epps is probably the best scorer from the bench. He’s a 6-9 220 sophomore who scores about 5.8 points and grabs 3 rebounds per game. After Epps, LSU brings in a couple heavyweights. Elbert Robinson is 7-1 and 290lbs. Brian Bridgewater only 6-5 but comes in at 282- he might need to check in with the football team and become a defensive end or something. These two guy don’t provide much scoring but they can carve out some space. Robinson actually started alongside Simmons for the first 7 games this season. Their backcourt depth comes in the form of Josh Gray and Brandon Sampson. I’m sure most remember Gray from last season. He’s the only true point guard who plays for LSU and he should probably be starting and move Quarterman over to a more natural 3 spot, but I have a feeling Jones made some promises to Blakeney that has kept him in the starting line-up. Gray has been scoring 8 points and dishing out a little over 2 assists per game in about 19 minutes per game. Sampson is a 6-5 guard who plays about 20 minutes per game, though his time on the floor has diminished since the return of Hornsby.
This LSU team worries me a bit for several reasons. First of all, they have talent. Don’t let their 8-5 record fool you. With Hornsby and Victor playing now, they are a very talented team. And that game at Vandy (regardless of whether or not Vandy is up to par right now, it was at Memorial Gym) just shows me that they are starting to get a feel for how they need to play with their line-up intact in order to win games. Also, playing in Baton Rouge is always difficult. The freaks come out in night games down there and they will be out in full force with UK coming to town and ESPN in the house. And of course there’s Ben Simmons who worries me. LSU isn’t a great team but there is no doubt Simmons is a great player. Someone might argue basketball is a team sport and one guy can’t do it all, but Simmons is a kid who may be the one exception to that axiom. Our front court players are going to have their hands full in this game attempting to contain him.
If I’m thinking in a positive light about this game, I have to look at this schedule LSU has played and ask myself how they’ve lost 5 of these games. I understand the true road game at Houston, I suppose, but the Cougars are no juggernaut this season. The losses to Marquette and NC State may not seem too bad but those two teams are not as good as they have been. Add in #120 College of Charleston to that 3 losses in a row and you just have to shake your head. And perhaps the game that should worry LSU fans more than the rest is that home loss to Wake Forest on December 29. That is a game I bet they wish they had back.
The other thing that jumps out about this LSU team is their poor defense. Regardless of how many points these guys can score, and they’re averaging a ridiculous 84.2 points per game, their defense has been shaky to say the least. Even in some wins, they’ve allowed large point totals. They gave up 108 and 98 points in back to back games to North Florida and Houston. That shouldn’t happen, period. They’re allowing an average of 76.6 points per game, which is 274th among D1 schools. That will lose you a bunch of games.
I expect this game to be tight, without a doubt. Expect LSU to come out ready to play with high energy and intensity. They may get an early lead behind the play of Simmons. However, if UK can stay out of foul trouble in the frontcourt, I expect the defense of the Cats to be the difference in this game. The combination of UK’s defense and LSU’s lack of team defense leads to the win for our Cats.
Prediction: Kentucky 84 LSU 79
Head Coach: Johnny Jones 270-202 (.572) overall; 65-40 (.619) in his 4th season at LSU
Record this season: 8-5, 1-0 SEC (7-1 at home)
Schedule
11/13/15 MCNEESE ST. W 81-70
11/16/15 KENNESAW STATE W 91-69
11/19/15 SOUTH ALABAMA W 78-66
11/23/15 vs Marquette L 80-81
11/24/15 vs N.C. State LOT 72-83
11/30/15 at Col. of Charleston L 58-70
12/02/15 NORTH FLORIDA W 119-108
12/13/15 at Houston LOT 98-105
12/16/15 GARDNER-WEBB W 78-57
12/19/15 ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY W 100-77
12/22/15 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY W 79-51
12/29/15 WAKE FOREST L 71-77
01/02/16 at Vanderbilt W 90-82
Game info
01/05/16 Kentucky at LSU
Maravich Center, Baton Rouge, La., 9:00 pm EST, TV: ESPN
Probable Starters
F 25 SIMMONS, Ben 6-10 240 Fr 20.5pts*, 13.1reb*, 5.4ast*, 1.33blk*2.07stl*, .333 3fg
F 32 VICTOR II, Craig 6-9 235 So, 13.4pts, 5.0reb, 1.0ast, .333 3fg
G 04 HORNSBY, Keith 6-4 210 Sr, 17.5pts, 2.2reb, 2.0ast, .452 3fg*
G 02 BLAKENEY, Antonio 6-4 190 Fr, 9.8pts, 3.2reb, 1.2ast, .281 3fg
G 55 QUARTERMAN, Tim 6-6 190 Jr, 11.4pts, 4.8reb, 3.5ast, .327 3fg
Key Reserves
G 05 GRAY, Josh 6-1 177 Sr, 8.1pts, 2.8reb, 2.4ast, .294 3fg
G 00 SAMPSON, Brandon 6-5 186 Fr, 7.2pts, 1.9reb, 1.2ast, .326 3fg
F 21 EPPS, Aaron 6-9 220 So, 5.8pts, 3.0reb, .200 3fg
G 15 PATTERSON, Jalyn 6-1 185 So, 5.1pts, 2.1ast, .333 3fg
C 03 ROBINSON III, Elbert 7-1 290 So, 3.7pts, 2.8reb, no 3pt threat
F 20 BRIDGEWATER, Brian 6-5 282 Jr, 3.5pts, 3.0reb, no 3pt threat
* = leads team in this category
Team Stats
Points per game 84.2
Points allowed 76.6
Scoring margin +7.6
Field goal pct .477
FG% allowed .434
3-point FG pct .319
3pt fg% allowed .361
Free throw pct .673
Rebounds per game 39.0
Rebounds allowed 38.6
Rebounding margin +0.4
Assists per game 17.1
Turnovers per game 12.0
Turnover margin +3.7
Assist/turnover ratio 1.4
Steals per game 9.2
Blocks per game 4.1
Analysis: The first 12 games of the season were pretty much a nightmare for the folks in Baton Rouge. In fact, until that big road win over Vanderbilt on Saturday, LSU had not beaten any team rated higher than #132 North Florida, which was a home game in which LSU allowed 108 points. That road win over Vandy is the highlight of the season so far, and one could argue that the Commodores simply aren’t the team they were when Luke Kornet was healthy.
Having said all of this, it must be noted that LSU was without 2 very key players for the first 7 or 8 games of this season. Keith Hornsby missed the first 7 games, and he is LSU’s best overall guard and top 3pt threat by far. Since he’s returned, he’s averaged 17.5 points per game while shooting 45.2% from 3pt range. The Tigers have also been missing a key interior player in Craig Victor II for the first 8 games of the year. Since he’s been back, he’s averaged 13.4 points and 5.0 rebounds. Take 2 of the top 3 players off any team and they will likely struggle. So, LSU is better than their record would indicate.
And you can rest assured that the Maravich Center will be rocking tonight, with an 7:00 local start time, ESPN in the house, and Kentucky coming to call. This is the biggest home game of the season for LSU, as we all know. Our boys better be ready for a fight because it’s gonna be a tough game tonight.
The LSU Tigers are led by a guy we all have been hearing about all season in freshman phenom Ben Simmons. The 6-10 240lb freshman forward is probably the closest thing to a Lebron James type of player that college basketball has seen in some time. He does a bit of everything for LSU. He leads them in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, blocks, free throw attempts and makes, and minutes played on the season. He’s the only player who has started all 13 games on the season. The only thing he doesn’t do much is shoot the 3, though I’m sure he could do that if he wanted. Needless to say, UK’s first priority will be to try to slow Simmons down. We won’t be able to stop him, but if we can make him give up the ball and force someone else to score, we’ll be doing well. Joining Simmons in the frontcourt is Craig Victor II, a 6-9 235 forward who has definitely been taking some pressure off Simmons since his return 5 games ago. Since he’s been playing, he’s 2nd in rebounding and 3rd in scoring. If nothing else, he gives them another big body and another guy for Simmons to find underneath for dunks and lay-ups after he’s drawn the defense.
In the backcourt, LSU is led by a couple upperclassmen in Sr Keith Hornsby and Jr Tim Quarterman. Hornsby is the better shooter and scorer of the two, averaging 17.5pts per game and shooting a team leading 45.2% from 3pt range. If he has space, he’s likely knocking it down. He also gets to the line well and shoots 86% from there. Quarterman is a long 6-6 guard who is basically playing like a point guard, though LSU doesn’t really have a true pg starting. He’s a guy who does a little bit of everything as well and he’s a multi-year starter for the Tigers. He scores 11.4 points but also rebounds well and is second on the team in assists. Joining the 2 veterans in the starting line-up is a talented freshman Antonio Blakeney who basically came as a package deal with Simmons. Blakeney has some talent but he’s been a bit shaky during several games this season. He’s only shooting 28% from 3 on the year and averaging 9.8 points. Before the return of Hornsby he was desperately needed, but he struggled at times.
Coming off the bench for the Tigers are a bunch of guys who have nearly all started at one time or another season, while Jones was trying to stop the bleeding and find a line-up to put around Simmons that could win some games. In the frontcourt, Aaron Epps is probably the best scorer from the bench. He’s a 6-9 220 sophomore who scores about 5.8 points and grabs 3 rebounds per game. After Epps, LSU brings in a couple heavyweights. Elbert Robinson is 7-1 and 290lbs. Brian Bridgewater only 6-5 but comes in at 282- he might need to check in with the football team and become a defensive end or something. These two guy don’t provide much scoring but they can carve out some space. Robinson actually started alongside Simmons for the first 7 games this season. Their backcourt depth comes in the form of Josh Gray and Brandon Sampson. I’m sure most remember Gray from last season. He’s the only true point guard who plays for LSU and he should probably be starting and move Quarterman over to a more natural 3 spot, but I have a feeling Jones made some promises to Blakeney that has kept him in the starting line-up. Gray has been scoring 8 points and dishing out a little over 2 assists per game in about 19 minutes per game. Sampson is a 6-5 guard who plays about 20 minutes per game, though his time on the floor has diminished since the return of Hornsby.
This LSU team worries me a bit for several reasons. First of all, they have talent. Don’t let their 8-5 record fool you. With Hornsby and Victor playing now, they are a very talented team. And that game at Vandy (regardless of whether or not Vandy is up to par right now, it was at Memorial Gym) just shows me that they are starting to get a feel for how they need to play with their line-up intact in order to win games. Also, playing in Baton Rouge is always difficult. The freaks come out in night games down there and they will be out in full force with UK coming to town and ESPN in the house. And of course there’s Ben Simmons who worries me. LSU isn’t a great team but there is no doubt Simmons is a great player. Someone might argue basketball is a team sport and one guy can’t do it all, but Simmons is a kid who may be the one exception to that axiom. Our front court players are going to have their hands full in this game attempting to contain him.
If I’m thinking in a positive light about this game, I have to look at this schedule LSU has played and ask myself how they’ve lost 5 of these games. I understand the true road game at Houston, I suppose, but the Cougars are no juggernaut this season. The losses to Marquette and NC State may not seem too bad but those two teams are not as good as they have been. Add in #120 College of Charleston to that 3 losses in a row and you just have to shake your head. And perhaps the game that should worry LSU fans more than the rest is that home loss to Wake Forest on December 29. That is a game I bet they wish they had back.
The other thing that jumps out about this LSU team is their poor defense. Regardless of how many points these guys can score, and they’re averaging a ridiculous 84.2 points per game, their defense has been shaky to say the least. Even in some wins, they’ve allowed large point totals. They gave up 108 and 98 points in back to back games to North Florida and Houston. That shouldn’t happen, period. They’re allowing an average of 76.6 points per game, which is 274th among D1 schools. That will lose you a bunch of games.
I expect this game to be tight, without a doubt. Expect LSU to come out ready to play with high energy and intensity. They may get an early lead behind the play of Simmons. However, if UK can stay out of foul trouble in the frontcourt, I expect the defense of the Cats to be the difference in this game. The combination of UK’s defense and LSU’s lack of team defense leads to the win for our Cats.
Prediction: Kentucky 84 LSU 79
