All the jokes about the Tigers were fun for a while, but people are finally asking if LSU can win the SEC.
If you haven’t been paying attention, LSU sits alone at the top of the SEC standings at 8-2 with Kentucky just one-half game back. Of course, that standing goes on the line come Wednesday night when the Tigers take the floor in South Carolina against Frank Martin and the Gamecocks.
This is the first and only meeting on the season for these two, both battling it out with Kentucky and Texas A&M for a spot on the throne of the SEC.
LSU is one of the nation’s best offensive groups, averaging 81.3 points per game and dishing out 16.4 assists per game–defensively, they’re one of the worst, giving up over 75 points per game. South Carolina comes in with a top 100 scoring defense (under 70 points per game allowed), a respectable offense (77.3 points per game), but one of the truly elite rebounding units in the country (top ten nationally, with 42 rebounds per game).
Getting Ben Simmons going early and often will be key for LSU, but finding a way to contain Michael Carrera might be just as important. Carrera averages 14.1 points and 7.2 rebounds on the year, proving to be the catalyst for this team’s success.
Whoever wins will gain an upper hand in the quest for a conference title, but even asking if LSU can win the SEC is a far departure from where we were just weeks ago. Whoever has been responsible for this turnaround, here’s hoping they get their due by the end of the season.
