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On Tuesday, the AP released its preseason Top 25 for college basketball, and the LSU Tigers are the first team out.
The Tigers finished the 2019-20 season with a 21-10 record and would have made the NCAA Tournament before coronavirus canceled the post-season. The team finished 12-6 in SEC play. Inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, LSU finished 15-2 and 5-6 on the road last year.
LSU comes into 2020-21 with a loaded roster after going over the 20-win mark last season.
Coach Will Wade signed five commitments to the 2020 class, and the team finished sixth nationally and third in the SEC in recruiting.
The class includes Cameron Thomas, Mwani Wilkinson, Eric Gaines, Jalen Cook, and Josh Gray.
The Tigers also got commits from three transfers. Shareef O’Neal, the son of LSU and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, transferred to the Tigers from UCLA. Josh LeBlanc committed to the Tigers after leaving Georgetown and Bryan Penn-Johnson transferred to LSU from Washington after one season with the Huskies.
LSU returns sophomore Trendon Watford, junior Javonte Smart, junior Darius Days, sophomore Aundre Hyatt, and senior Charles Manning Jr.
Here is the AP Pre-Season Top 25.
- Gonzaga
- Baylor
- Villanova
- Virginia
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Wisconsin
- Illinois
- Duke
- Kentucky
- Creighton
- Tennessee
- Michigan State
- Texas Tech
- West Virginia
- North Carolina
- Houston
- Arizona State
- Texas
- Oregon
- Florida State
- UCLA
- Ohio State
- Rutgers
- Michigan
LSU received 146 votes, but just missed the Top 25. The Tigers come in at No. 26 to begin the season.
The Tigers tip off the 2020-21 season on November 25 in Lincoln, Nebraska in a multi-team event.
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