The Tigers had a perfect opportunity to boost their NCAA Tournament resume in Tampa on Friday at the SEC Tournament. LSU drew a third matchup of the season against the Arkansas Razorbacks, one of the hottest teams in the country with a No. 20 ranking in the NET and consensus projection as a top-four seed in March Madness.
But, similar to the way the previous two matchups against the Razorbacks played out, LSU was on the losing end when the final buzzer sounded. With a 79-67 loss, the Tigers missed out on what would have been their seventh Quadrant 1 win of the season despite spending much of the first half in the lead.
There’s nothing else for coach Will Wade’s squad to do but wait for Selection Sunday to find out where it will be seeded and who it will take on in the first round, but until then, here are five takeaways from the loss on Friday.