LSU Basketball Falls to No. 25 in AP Top 25 Rankings

It's been talked about for weeks just how big of a gauntlet LSU faced in its eight conference games.

Entering SEC play the Tigers drew as tough a schedule that could be imagined with the first seven opponents in the top 25 at one point during the season. A 4-4 record later and LSU has its toughest stretch behind it, but is in desperate need of wins. Following a one win, one loss week, the purple and gold now sit at No. 25 in the AP rankings and No. 14 in the NET.

It's been a steady decline in each ranking the past three weeks as injury and inconsistent offensive play have really hurt the Tigers against some of the tougher opponents on their schedule. Xavier Pinson has been out most of the last three weeks and Darius Days has been in and out of the lineup with a sprained ankle.

It does appear the Tigers are closer than ever to getting this team back healthy and steered in the right direction. Days returned after a one game absence and Pinson came off the bench for seven minutes in the first half against TCU, but clearly still looked bothered by his knee injury.

This team still ranks No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency in the KenPom rankings but sit at No. 126 in adjusted offensive efficiency. Will Wade has said it all season throughout the struggles on offense that the defense can only hold up for so long when the scoring droughts are so profound.

LSU gets Ole Miss at home on Tuesday before going on the road for back-to-back games against Vanderbilt (where LSU has not yet won in the Wade era) and Texas A&M. There's an avenue for this team to get on the right track but health and continued progression of the offense is a must for this team to fulfill its true potential.