Beginning Monday, June 21st, 2004 CHN began unveiling 144 Team previews in 144 Days. CHN ranked the nations top 144 teams, and is unveiling one per day leading up until the opening day of the 2004-05 Season.

Bookmark the 144 Teams in 144 Days home page, and check back each day to see which team is previewed next.

#53 LSU Tigers
SEC
2003-04: 18-11, 8-8, 6th
2003-04 postseason: NIT
 

By Joel Welser

The Tigers struggled at the end of last year when Jaime Lloreda went out with an injury.  John Brady’s squad shouldn’t have any problems this year without Lloreda though.  LSU was looking like a good choice for an at-large bid to the NCAA before losing six of their last seven games.  That led them to an NIT berth and a first round loss to the Sooners of Oklahoma. 

Who’s Out: In the 22 games Lloreda played, he averaged 16.9 points and 11.6 rebounds.  His absence won’t come as a surprise this year and plenty of players are ready to step up and take on the spotlight.  The 6-9 power forward’s numbers will be greatly missed though.  Lloreda started the season off with a 30 point and 21 rebound effort against McNeese State.  Little used Charlie Thompson has also run out of eligibility.

Who’s In: Glen Davis was one of the most highly recruited big men in the nation.  At 6-9 and 310 pounds, Davis can battle under the basket with the best of them.  Davis averaged 26.4 points and 14.3 rebounds his senior season in high school, which earned him Louisiana’s Mr. Basketball honors.  Power forward Tyrus Thomas should also help ease the pain of the loss of Lloreda.  He’s a little small, at 6-7 and 200 pounds, to be banging underneath, but Thomas is a solid defender under the basket.  His senior season in high school he averaged nine blocks per game.  Along with Brandon Bass, Davis and Thomas should produce a formidable frontcourt.  Garrett Temple continues a long lineage of Tiger players.  His father and brother both played at LSU.  Temple is a versatile player who can play guard or the small forward spot.  Temple was a teammate of Glen Davis at Baton Rogue’s University High where he averaged 13.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists.  Walk-on guard David Fleshman rounds out the Tiger’s 2004-2005 class.

Who to Watch: Darrell Mitchell, Antonio Hudson, Xavier Whipple and Tack Minor will provide an experienced backcourt threat, but Brandon Bass in the frontcourt will be the key to the Tigers success.  Bass needed to step up after Lloreda went down last year, but it was too much for a freshman to handle.  This year he’s ready to take the team on his shoulders.  The 6-8, 252 pound Baton Rogue native is a typical low post power forward.  He’ll score underneath and defends best around the basket.  Bass, who has flirted with the NBA multiple times, is a physical player who should work well underneath with the new center Glen Davis.  Last season Bass averaged 12.8 points, 7.4 boards and 1.9 blocks. 

Projected Conference Rank: The Tigers have the talent to compete in the SEC.  The freshmen need to make an immediate impact, but this team has underachieved and disappointed before.  Finishing in 7th place in the conference isn’t bad, but another trip to the NIT isn’t an improvement.  LSU should have everything worked out by the time the conference schedule begins, so they could become an extremely dangerous team down the stretch. 

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT
 

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Email Joel Welser: jwelser_chn@ameritech.net

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