Statistically Speaking: A look at LSU through 10 games

By Hunt Palmer

Matt McMahon’s squad enters the semester break 9-1 and with the toughest stretch of non-conference games in the rearview.

LSU won four of five against Drake, DePaul, Boston College, Texas Tech and SMU. The Texas Tech game was a gut punch, but LSU got off the mat and decked SMU on Saturday night in the Smoothie King Center.

Not all non-conference slates are created equal, and LSU’s has been very much on the lighter side. That’s going to inflate statistics without question, but there are some trends that become an identity when 400 minutes of basketball have been played.

When we post national statistics for football, I highlight “top 25” stats and “bottom 50” stats. With 136 teams, those metrics make the most sense to me. College basketball has 365 teams, so the ranges change to “top 50” and “bottom 100,” as far as extremes go.

OFFENSE

Offensive Efficiency: #15, 1.21

Points Per Game: #23, 88.5 points per game

Percentage of points from 2-pointers: #40, 55.1%

Percentage of points from 3-pointers: #341, 22.7%

Percentage of points from free throws: #87, 22.1%

Field goal percentage: #13, 51.6%

3-pt attempts per game: #276, 20.5 per game

2-pt shooting percentage: #14, 61.3%

3-pt shooting percentage: #206, 32.7%

Free throw attempts per game: #41, 25.3 per game

Offensive rebounding percentage: #58, 34.4%

Assists per game: #81, 15.9 per game

Turnovers per game: #101, 11.2 per game

Assist to Turnover ratio: #72, 1.4

Possessions per game: #126, 73.1

THOUGHTS

Aside from the Texas Tech debacle and the second half at Boston College, LSU has been exceptional on offense. The Tigers do most of their damage from two-point range and the free throw line. A lot of that is at the rim from Mike Nwoko and the facilitating of Dedan Thomas Jr.

LSU is not a great three-point shooting team aside from Max Mackinnon catching a heater, but the good news is that they don’t force the issue from behind the arc.

One concerning statistic here is that Thomas ranks 10th nationally in assists, and LSU as a team ranks 81st. Not much distribution outside of Thomas.

DEFENSE

Defensive Efficiency: #61, .965

Opponent Points per Game: #87, 70.6 points per game

Opponent shooting percentage: #48, 40.4%

Blocks per game: #74, 4.3 per game

Steals per game: #243, 6.2 per game

Defensive Rebounding Percentage: #76, 74.7%

Fouls per possession: #106, 23.8%

Opponent turnovers per game: #263, 11.1 per game

Opponent free throw attempts per game: #74, 18.4 per game

THOUGHTS

Defensively, LSU has done a decent job against poor competition. The Red Raiders shot the lights out.

LSU is not going to be a dominant defensive team. The backcourt is not explosive. LSU doesn’t turn teams over much at all.

They’re rebounding well on the defensive end and holding teams to low shooting percentages. Those numbers will come up against SEC competition.

The strength of the team is going to be offensive skill and shot creation. The defense just needs to be good enough. Aside from the game in Ft. Worth last week, it has been.