A Look At the Net: Where Does LSU Basketball Stand After Win at South Carolina
Before LSU's 86-80 win over South Carolina on Saturday night, Will Wade laid out his goal for this 2020 team and it started with the Tigers earning a double bye, which would almost assuredly land LSU a berth to the NCAA tournament.
"If we get to double bye we're gonna get in the NCAA Tournament. Then you can you can play it out from there," Wade said.
Well that meant finishing these last five regular season games off the right way and LSU got off to a good start with the win over the Gamecocks. As a result, the Tigers made a slight move in the NET rankings on Sunday, moving from No. 30 to No. 29 with the win.
Only Kentucky (No. 21) and Auburn (No. 28) ranked higher than the Tigers in the SEC, with Florida and Alabama coming in at No. 34 and No. 40.
The move also ensured that if the 2020 season were to end today, the Tigers would have a 99.7% chance of making the NCAA tournament, likely as a No. 5 seed. That's a pretty dramatic improvement in just 24 hours as before the game LSU was projected to receive no higher than a No. 7 seed.
But there are still four remaining games on the schedule, the toughest of which lies directly in front of the purple and gold. LSU travels to Gainesville on Wednesday to take on the Gators, a team that has won three of four including most recently, a six point loss at No. 10 Kentucky.
LSU played some of its best ball in recent memory against the Gamecocks, leading by as many as 19 in the second-half before that age old script reared its ugly head in the final five minutes. The Tigers will need to put 40 minutes together to beat a Gators team that's playing its best ball of the year.
The ultimate goal, making the NCAA tournament, is well within reach for this team that despite its deficiencies, is in control of it's destiny.
"I just wanted to make the NCAA tournament with this team. If we could just make the NCAA tournament, I thought that would be a very, very good year," Wade said. "I told my staff this other day, like guys, our goal at the beginning of the year was just find a way to squeeze this team into the NCAA Tournament. That was our goal."
