LSU Basketball Hoping Worst of COVID-19 Issues Behind Them As SEC Play Starts

As Will Wade ended his Monday press conference before LSU's first slate of SEC games, he crossed his fingers on both hands. The Tigers will open up the 2020-21 SEC conference schedule against Texas A&M on Tuesday with a fully healthy roster, something that Wade knows can change in the blink of an eye this season.

LSU (5-1) is just coming off a near two-week layoff due to COVID-19 protocols that kept the team from practicing after settling into a good rhythm before the shutdown. A last minute scheduled date with Nicholls State to knock off some of the rust, turned out to be a good tune up for the purple and gold as conference play begins.

Wade said Saturday that he's hoping that those COVID-19 issues won't continue to hinder the team in conference play but knows there is that unpredictability that comes with this year.

"It'll probably be survival of the fittest, some of it's gonna be luck," Wade said. "When the COVID and the contact tracing hits your team, can you survive? I do think whoever can get in rhythm and have chemistry with practice that team will certainly have an advantage."

"I think we've been able to plug and get some guys some experience which will hopefully pay dividends as we gotta shuffle the lineup and guys in and out all year."

The Aggies come in as a "tremendous rebounding team" according to Wade, particularly on the offensive glass, which has been one of the weaknesses for this LSU team six games in. LSU is fresh off allowing 17 offensive rebounds to the Colonels and a similar showing against the Aggies will spell trouble for Wade and company.

Wade said the rebounding issues have been a combination of guards needing to help out a little bit more on the boards, the matchup zone on defense and just being out of position.

"It's gonna take all five of our guys to rebound and we've usually got three guys in there rebounding and two guys not," Wade said. "It's gonna take a team effort and we've gotta get better there."

Texas A&M is also No. 9 in the country in forced turnovers which means LSU will have to really value the ball on Tuesday evening. Luckily, the program will be getting back starting point guard Javonte Smart who is off to a terrific start to his 2020 junior campaign.

Through six non-conference games, Smart is No. 3 in the SEC in field goal percentage (63.3%) and is playing with an ease and comfort level that has led to stellar play on both ends of the court.

Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening from the PMAC.

"We've got 19 heavyweight fights left with 18 SEC games and a game against Texas Tech. So no more middle weights," Wade said.