(Official) Hoops Post-Season Tourney Watch Thread

Ok, can't help the giddyness here. And, at the possibility of the "jinx", I'm still going to throw caution to the wind and start a thread for all of the march madness fans out there....

As posted in the MSU thread, after defeating the ole SEC West rival Bulldogs last week, from here on out, it's going to be a crazy ride to the finish of the SEC regular season, and perhaps just as important the SEC Tourney. But, as predicted there, alot can happen in a few weeks.

With only 4 games left in LSU's regular season, already you see interesting happenings... and we'll have to be watching EVERY SEC hoops game with earnest.

Depending on what RPI site you check, LSU sits there squarely on the bubble, hovering at that sort of 60-65ish level, right now. But, as we watch some of our other SEC brethren play, the ole SEC West, as it always has been, is as topsy turvy as it can be.

First, to the Mississippi State bulldogs, losing at Auburn this weekend was huge. Miss State, according to this one site, has now also moved "on the bubble"--they've dropped steadily in the RPI and now sit only a spot or two above LSU. LSU has more quality wins, but arguably worse losses, but is trending in the right direction.

StatSheet Projects Mississippi State as NCAA Tournament Bubble Team 12 Seed: 02/19/2012 - Mississippi State Basketball - Dawgs Daily

LSU does compare favorably to them in some respects--quality wins, road wins, and SOS.

Then you look at Ole Miss and Bama. They rank most closely in this sub UK, Vandy, & Florida tier. Ole Miss still for whatever reason still gets love in the RPI (but their standings will make it hard for them to be strongly considered), and Alabama's decision to play a challenging out of conference schedule this year keeps them (dangerously) above this cut. BUT, how are they trending? Ole Miss is sliding. Bama still has key players suspended. Interestingly, if you look at the comparisons, these four teams could in many ways be as closely matched as you could ever be...

Compare College Basketball Teams - StatSheet.com

If LSU is squarely in the 4th or 5th spot in the SEC, they likely deserve consideration. Lunardi (ESPN bracketology) has 5 SEC teams getting in, but StatSeed projects 6 SEC teams getting in. So much of this will obviously also depend on what other conferences do in their tournaments... and well, as we know, the STARs will have to align for our Tigers.

So, you go from that to remaining schedules. Alabama STILL has to play each of Arkansas, Miss State and Ole Miss (Ark and Ole Miss on the road). It will be interesting to see how long Grant keeps Tony Mitchell and JyMichael Green out. Miss State, in sort of a tail spin, is the best SEC team to pick on here and in addition to having to still play Arkansas and 'Bama, they also get Kentucky at home tomorrow night. It'd be best to see Kentucky demoralize Miss State a little bit further, as much as I hate to say it. Ole Miss may have an easier schedule at the end of the season, with Tennessee in addition to LSU, Arkansas and Alabama, but the LSU-Ole Miss game will be huge for head-to-head reasons for LSU. Win at Oxford, and LSU can hope Ole Miss plays the spoiler against 'Bama. In short, I think LSU fans become Hog fans now, and if we can take care of business on the road against Ole Miss, we are also cheering for Ole Miss after that.

If LSU plays its best and gets a bye in the SEC tourney by securing a higher seed, winning that next game may (and I say may) be the game that gets LSU in the dance.

Are you goin' crazy yet here? Let the baseball team go beat up on the Air Forces and Alcorn States of the world.... it's prime-time basketball right now folks! Get out for the remaining home games and cheer on those Tigers!

:bball::geaux::bball::geaux:

 

I'm ready. Been too long outside looking in. I'd be happy with the NIT right now.

 

thanks for all the good info. I admire your passion for LSU basketball.

 

ESPN love...

More love for the Tigers. Andy Katz has LSU movin' on up in the world...

Conference Power Rankings: SEC - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

Let's just hope the team is NOT reading this stuff and is ready to keep the pressure on!

 

It would be fantastic to make the tournament, but after the last two seasons I'd take the NIT in a heartbeat.

 

Just the fact that we are in the conversation at this point in the season and we have all five starters returning next season and four out of five for the season after that, I feel good about the future of LSU basketball. Success on the court will breed further success in recruiting as well as continuing to upgrade the facilities. There is more reason to be hopeful than there has been in quite some time and it is refreshing. GEAUX TIGERS!

 

Team seems to be improving. NIT would be nice this year.

:geauxtige

 

Waiting for islstluseless comments. :rolleye33:

 

Considering what he inherited talent wise as well as facilities, I would say he deserves the benefit of the doubt at this point. No one wants a bubble team year in and year out but it beats the hell out of what we've had the past two years.

I think we are seeing the beginning of good things to come. Building a program isn't always pretty and we've definitely seen our share of ugly games, teams, etc. That said, we are young and gaining confidence. Cheer up, man, our best days are ahead of us.