Under Head Coach Will Wade, LSU has turned into the bad boys of the Southeastern Conference, and truthfully, they don’t care what you think about them or their antics. In most ways, their right LSU Basketball has been one of the most successful programs in the SEC over the last ten years, and despite an ongoing NCAA Investigation, LSU has kept the party rolling in Baton Rouge.

Last season, things were a bit weird for the Tigers; they went 19-10 overall and 11-6 in SEC play, made the NCAA Tournament, but lost in the second round to Michigan.

Fast forward to this upcoming season, LSU has a lot to prove especially losing three of their better players in Javonte Smart, Cameron Thomas, and Trendon Watford. All three guys averaged double digits in scoring last season, including Trendon Watford, who earned first-team all-SEC honors last year.

LSU will turn to Darius Days to lead the way for this young Tigers team. Last season, Darius Days was the teams leading scorer and rebounders. He averaged 11.8 points per game and 7.8 rebounds. Darius Days adds veteran leadership to a team that is mostly made up of underclassmen who have little to no experience with major Southeastern Conference college basketball.

Not to mention, LSU is still waiting to see how Shareef O’Neal will playout for the Tigers. O’Neal had his 2020-2021 season cut short due to a foot injury that happened early in the season. If the son of the legendary LSU player, Shaquille O’Neal, is half the player that Shaq was, then LSU fans will have a reason to be excited about Shareef.

In the backcourt, LSU will turn to two transfer players in Xavier Pinson from Missouri and Adam Miller from Illinois to replace the void that was by the departures of Javonte Smart and Cameron Thomas. Both Xavier Pinson and Adam Miller were starters last season who averaged both 13.8 points per game and 8.3 points per game at their respected schools.

Overall, things in Baton Rouge should be exciting, to say the least. It’ll be a difficult task to replace the core three from last season, but Head Coach Will Wade has his LSU Tigers primed and ready for a breakout 2021-2022 season, a season in fact that could see the Tigers as the sleeper team to win the SEC outright. LSU fans should expect this team to be a second weekend of the NCAA Tournament caliber team. They have the pieces. It just comes down to finding that chemistry that clicks and avoiding the NCAA.

LSU will open the 2021-2022 season on November 9th as they welcome in-state foe Lousiana Monroe to Baton Rouge.