LSU is trending in the wrong direction according to the NCAA’s official NET rankings as the college basketball season’s crunch time approaches. As the month of February begins, LSU has fallen to No. 38 in the most recently updated NET rankings.
LSU previously slipped out of the top 25 of the NET rankings following a tough week including a blowout loss to Alabama at home and a road loss against Kentucky. The NET ranking had a chance to improve over the weekend, but the Tigers were unable to follow-up a somewhat shaky victory over Texas A&M with a notable win against Texas Tech in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge. The Tigers were unable to finish off a win against the top-10 Red Raiders on Saturday. The loss resulted in another slide in the NET rankings for LSU as the rankings were updated on Sunday.
LSU is faced with another challenging week with a return to SEC play. LSU heads to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama on Wednesday. The Crimson Tide are No. 11 in the latest NET rankings and are 8-1 at home this season. LSU will then host Florida, ranked No. 18 in the NET rankings after a big jump up from No. 27, on Saturday. LSU lost to the Gators in Gainesville back on Jan. 2.
Five SEC teams are ranked ahead of LSU in the latest NET rankings. The Tigers are behind Tennessee (No. 10), Alabama (No. 11), Florida (No. 18), Missouri (No. 30), and Arkansas (No. 32). LSU is now sitting on bubble status for the tournament.
LSU is currently 0-5 in Quad 1 matchups this season. The Tigers are undefeated in Quad 2 games (3-0), Quad 3 (5-0), and Quad 4 (3-0) games though to help keep things afloat. But with one month to play, LSU could certainly benefit from getting a couple of good wins on their resume. As the Tigers continue to slip, their tournament hopes are beginning to be a bit more uncomfortable.
This will be a critical week for LSU hoops.