Here it is: the doozie- a 38-point loss to a team that was simply better. This win ensures that no team in the SEC will go undefeated.
Trent Johnson made a wise decision to sit Ralston Turner rather than risk injury in a game LSU had little chance of winning. There's no way Turner would have made 38 points worth of difference.
It was a poor game for our backcourt. The three guys who we were counting to make 3-pointers, Stringer, Derenbecker, and Dotson, went a combined 0-18 from downtown. Dotson went 0-3, Derenbecker went 0-5 and Stringer was 0-10. Stringer and D-Beck looked like freshmen out there.
Garrett Green's fine season continues- the big man scored 13 in this contest and added 9 rebounds, both team highs. Surprisingly, Green made 2 of LSU's 3 3-pointers. Garrett Green's surprising run continues: he's been LSU's best player since December.
Eddie Ludwig made the other 3-pointer and finished with 7 points and 4 rebounds. Aaron Dotson had his best scoring game in awhile, reaching double-digit points (10) for the first time since November. Notoriously hot-and-cold Malcolm White was ice cold- no points, 3 boards and fouling out after just 15 minutes.
The good news for the Tigers is that it gets a whole week off. Hopefully, Ralston Turner will be good to go when LSU faces Ole Miss in the PMAC. The Rebels have yet to win an SEC contest, and they aren't likely to beat Vanderbilt on Wednesday, so they'll probably be angrier than Andy Kennedy in a taxi driven by a Muhammad.
A bad loss is not enough to kill delusional optimism, though. Let's pack the PMAC this Saturday!