This weekend’s loss to Oklahoma in the Big12/SEC Challenge wasn’t the final blow to LSU’s NCAA Tournament odds, but it might have been the body blow that eventually keeps the Tigers from dancing. Here are the top five reasons why Ben Simmons and company are currently on the outside looking in:
- Their win over Kentucky is their only win against a top 50 RPI school, meaning that their weak scheduling and inconsistency in picking up wins in the 50-100 range has come back to bite them. You don’t have to beat the Oklahomas of the world to hear your name called on Selection Sunday, but you definitely can’t lose to Marquette, North Carolina State, and College of Charleston in a row. If you do, then opportunities against OU, Florida, and Texas A&M can’t be wasted. Their RPI sits at No. 82 right now and is only projected to go lower.
- I understand that LSU was without some key pieces to begin the year, but head coach Johnny Jones still hasn’t found a way to get consistent production from options not named Simmons. Having the future top overall NBA Draft pick should make a coach’s life easier, but Jones has muddied things up all year.
- If defense wins championships, then LSU is about as far away from a national title as you or me. They’re among the worst defensive groups in the country, giving up an average of 75.7 points per game on the season. Simmons’ size and athleticism, not to mention someone like Craig Victor, should give any defense tons of versatility. Whether it’s scheme, ability, or focus, this group hasn’t gotten it done.
- On the subject of coach Jones, it’s hard to win consistently as a team, no matter your talent level, when you’re getting outcoached game in and game out. Whether it’s late game execution or preparedness going into tip-off, LSU has been on the short end too much this season.
- The SEC doesn’t have the computer numbers to withstand someone doing ‘just enough’ by beating the teams they should and competing, but losing, to teams they should lose to. The conference is so shallow from a numbers standpoint that LSU’s inability to get big wins has left them without a the quality but maybe not inspiring wins that bubble teams are made of.
