Tag: Tari Eason

LSU survives overtime against Alabama, who stood out for the Tigers?

Which LSU Tigers stood out in the win over Alabama.

Alabama and LSU have dolled out a couple of thrillers over the last couple of years. It’s a rivalry that delivered again on Saturday with LSU finally coming out on top, 80-77.

LSU couldn’t have asked for much of a better start. There was no 11 AM lull as it came out of the gates buzzing in front of a loud crowd.

Alabama then settled in, and LSU had some trouble defending the three-ball. It didn’t last long, as the Crimson Tide went cold, allowing LSU to pull in front again.

The final minutes of the first half went back and forth with Alabama throwing in a final-second dunk to take a small lead into halftime.

The second half, much like the first, saw LSU and Alabama trading bullets. Around the 4:30 mark, Tari Eason hit two free throws to tie it at 64.

Some moments later, Eason found Days down low, putting LSU up two. That was followed by a Brandon Murray fast-break dunk, making it 68-64 LSU.

Tied at 70 with a minute left, LSU found the basket. Alabama followed that up with an illegal screen on the ensuing possession, giving LSU the ball right back.

A wild final minute sent the game to overtime, where it didn’t slow down. The five-minute overtime period resembled the first 40 minutes.

LSU came out on top and got one of its biggest wins of the year to head into the SEC tournament.

Here are three Tigers that stood out on Saturday.

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LSU falls short against red-hot Arkansas in Fayetteville

The Tigers missed another opportunity for a key Quadrant 1 win on the road on Wednesday night.

In what was a very heated and entertaining game in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Wednesday night, LSU came up one shot short of a victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Tigers started off strong shooting, 41% in the first half in what was a 35-35 tie at the break with a Razorbacks team that has won 14 of their last 15 games. But coach Will Wade’s squad couldn’t hold on to a late lead, falling 77-76 at Bud Walton Arena.

The Hogs only shot 38% in the first half and LSU outrebounded Arkansas 20-18 and both teams finished with seven turnovers. The second half started off as hot as the first half with LSU scoring the first seven points thanks to Brandon Murray and Darius Days.

After LSU’s hot start, though, Arkansas came fighting back and cut the lead down to one with 13:56 remaining in the game. The lead would proceed to switch back and forth multiple times until LSU went on a six-point run to make the score 63-56 with 6:31 left in the game.

That is as big of a lead as anyone would get for the rest of the game as it came down to the wire. Reminiscent of a heavyweight boxing match, both teams would trade blows for the final six minutes of the ballgame to try and come out on top.

LSU took the lead with 9:22 left and held onto it until Arkansas scored with 1:13 left. The Tigers responded to that score with a layup from Xavier Pinson to re-take the lead with 52 seconds left. Then, it was as if LSU pressed the touchpad on their Playstation controller to intentionally foul someone.

The Tigers fouled Arkansas twice in the final 46 seconds. Arkansas made 3 of 4 free throws to take a one-point lead with eight seconds left. Coach Will Wade decided not to use his final timeout as the Tigers inbounded the ball to Pinson who ran the length of the floor and attempted a layup with two seconds left, but the shot was off the mark, securing the Arkansas win.

LSU finished the game shooting 36% from the field and 21% from three-point range. The Tigers only had 10 turnovers while forcing 12 from Arkansas, and they outrebounded the Hogs 43-34, grabbing 22 offensive rebounds to Arkansas 10.

Tari Eason led the Tigers in scoring with 24 points on 14 attempts. He went 10 for 10 from the charity stripe. Darius Days was the second-highest scorer with 19 points on 12 attempts.

LSU will play its final regular-season game this Saturday against a struggling Alabama team. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m CST.

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Tari Eason named a semifinalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year

Eason is LSU’s leading scorer with 16.5 points, and he has 31 blocks and 55 steals.

It’s been a dominant season for LSU’s Tari Eason, and he may be bringing home some hardware at the end of the year. He has been named one of the semifinalists for Naismith Defensive Player of Year, one of ten semifinalists for the award.

Along with his team-leading 16.5 points per game, Eason has 31 blocks and 55 steals. The forward is averaging 1.1 blocks and two steals per game this season.

Eason is the type of player that Tigers coach Will Wade likes: a long, athletic player that can play on both sides of the floor. He is a transfer player from Cincinnati, and the sophomore played his first season with the Bearcats last year before transferring to LSU.

 

While with the Bearcats, Eason played in 23 games, starting in eight. He averaged 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and also shot 46% from the field. His 1.3 blocks per game ranked fourth in the American Athletic Conference.

With his 16.5 points per game this year, Eason rose his game to another level. He is shooting 52% from the field and 36% from three-point land, helping the Tigers to a 20-9 record so far this season.

He is a threat on both sides of the floor and is getting better. Eason’s ability to play both ways will be a critical factor in him potentially getting drafted. If he can continue to improve his three-point shot, his draft stock will rise.

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Walker Kessler named Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist

Walker Kessler is in line for some hardware.

It has been a monster year for the former North Carolina Tar Hell Walker Kessler. After playing minimally for them in the 2020-21 season, he burst onto the scene as the starting center for Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers.

Kessler along with freshman Jabari Smith have been the two key catalysts for the Tigers turnaround from last season. He recently became one of five SEC players to post two or more triple-doubles in the same season. Only two others have done it in SEC play.

Kessler also set the single-season record for the number of blocked shots in Auburn history. He currently sits at 135 with two more regular-season games remaining. Auburn will finish out the season at Mississippi State on Wednesday and the season finale at home against South Carolina. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility to see him hit 150 before heading into the SEC Tournament.

For his efforts this season, Kessler has been named among the 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. On top of his 135 blocks, Kessler has tallied 237 rebounds and 30 steals. He challenges so many shots at the rim that teams have to be selective with how they attack the rim when he is in the game.

Kessler joins this list of semifinalists:

  • Tari Eason, LSU
  • Jacob Gilyard, Richmond
  • Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
  • Christian Koloko, Arizona
  • Caleb McConnell, Rutgers
  • Kevin McCullar, Texas Tech
  • Jamarion Sharp, Western Kentucky
  • Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
  • Mark Williams, Duke

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Where LSU stands in latest bracket projections

LSU sees some variance in its bracket projections after the win over Missouri on Saturday.

LSU’s seeding projections have been all over the map this season. This was once a team that looked like a potential top four seed after the Tigers carried a one-loss record into mid-January.

Things are a little different now after a month and change of struggles.

LSU took care of business against Missouri on Saturday, as it should have. It got it to its 20th win of the year and to .500 in conference play.

CBS Sports’ updated bracket projections on Sunday morning had LSU slated as a seven seed. ESPN’s most recent projections have them just a tad higher, as a six.

TeamRankings, which publishes predictions that are computer-generated, has LSU most likely being an eight seed. These rankings factor in the upcoming schedule, where LSU doesn’t have the easiest path.

Before the conference tournament begins, LSU will have to play Arkansas and Alabama, two squads that have already beaten the Tigers once this year.

While LSU will be in the tournament no matter what at this point, being able to go at least 1-1 in the final two games of the regular season gives the Tigers a shot of really improving their seeding.

After Saturday, LSU sits 27th in ESPN’s strength of record. That’s a good indicator of how a team has fared against the schedule it has played. A seven or eight seed is about right for a team that sits outside the top 25 in SOR.

That’s the benefit of the tough road ahead, though. Sure, they’re tougher games. But winning those types of games is exactly what this team needs to do to improve its seeding.

Every year, a few teams go on a run in their conference tournaments and drastically better their position compared to what it was the week prior. This LSU team is inconsistent, but they’re certainly capable of stringing together one of those runs. At the same time, anyone could beat them in the first round in Tampa at the SEC Tournament.

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LSU impresses in blowout win over Missouri

The Tigers got back on track with a 20-point win over Mizzou in Baton Rouge on Saturday night.

On the weekend before Mardi Gras, the LSU Tigers gave the crowd in Baton Rouge a lot to celebrate in a 75-55 win over Missouri.

Scattered, smothered, and covered — no, not Waffle House. I am talking about the LSU defense in the first half.

The LSU Tigers held a 30-24 lead at halftime thanks to Will Wade’s full-court press. Missouri only shot 29% from the field and had 11 turnovers. There was a stretch of seven minutes where Missouri did not even make a shot.

LSU was able to extend its lead to 26-16 after going on a 6-0 run over a two-minute stretch, but after that, LSU went cold. The Tigers only hit one of their final seven shots to end the half and didn’t score for the last 2:04.

Darius Days and Brandon Murray came out of the locker on fire as LSU went on a 15-0 run to start the second half and the six-point halftime lead quickly ballooned to a 21-point lead before Missouri finally got on the scoreboard.

During that stretch, LSU was 5 for 5 from the field. After LSU increased its lead to 21, the Tigers never looked back. The closest Missouri got to a comeback was a 16 point deficit. LSU finished the game shooting 51% from the field, 35% from three-point range, and 83% from the charity stripe.

The Tigers defense forced 19 Missouri turnovers, which translated to 25 points for LSU.

Tari Eason led LSU in scoring with 18 points on the night, nine of those coming from the free-throw line, where he went 9 for 9. Brandon Murray, Xavier Pinson and Darius Days all finished with double-digits in the scoring column, as well.

With the win, LSU moves to 20-9 on the season and 8-8 in conference play with only two games remaining. LSU will travel to play a red-hot Arkansas Razorbacks team next Wednesday with tip-off at 8 p.m. CST.

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Where does LSU’s Tari Eason land in ESPN’s latest mock draft?

ESPN has Tari Eason just outside the lottery picks in its latest 2022 NBA mock draft.

The lottery for the 2022 NBA draft is three months away, so it will be a while before finding out who will have the draft’s top picks. Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Duke’s Paolo Banchero, and Auburn’s Jabari Smith are expected to be the first three players off the board.

But what of LSU’s star forward? In the latest mock draft from ESPN, Tari Eason was slated to go at pick No. 16 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The sophomore played his first season at Cincinnati last year before transferring to the Tigers. While with the Bearcats, Eason played in 23 games, starting in eight. He averaged 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Eason also shot 46% from the field. His 1.3 blocks per game ranked fourth in the AAC.

Eason is long and athletic and plays well on both sides of the floor. So far this season, Eason is averaging 16.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 2.0 steals per game. He is shooting 53.4% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc. Eason leads the Tigers in scoring despite coming off the bench.

With Eason’s size and athletic ability, he could make the NBA a solid wing player. His ability to play both sides of the floor will be a critical factor in Eason getting drafted. If he can continue to improve his three-point shot, his draft stock will rise.

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Aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Duke’s AJ Griffin is soaring back into the top tier

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Chad Ford (NBA Big Board), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.

AJ Griffin (Duke), Alondes Williams (Wake Forrest), Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), Walker Kessler (Fresno State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Christian Braun (Kansas), and Tari Eason (LSU) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.\

The most notable prospects who made their debut on our rankings were Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky), David Roddy (Colorado State), and Jaylin Williams (Arkansas).

Meanwhile, the top prospects who were not included in any of these recent mock drafts are Daimion Collins (Kentucky), Alex Fudge (LSU), Justin Moore (Villanova), Darius Days (LSU), Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall), Tre Mitchell (Texas), Dawson Garcia (North Carolina), and more.

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Aggregate NBA mock draft 4.0: Duke’s AJ Griffin is soaring back into the top tier

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Chad Ford (NBA Big Board), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.

AJ Griffin (Duke), Alondes Williams (Wake Forrest), Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), Walker Kessler (Fresno State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Christian Braun (Kansas), and Tari Eason (LSU) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.\

The most notable prospects who made their debut on our rankings were Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky), David Roddy (Colorado State), and Jaylin Williams (Arkansas).

Meanwhile, the top prospects who were not included in any of these recent mock drafts are Daimion Collins (Kentucky), Alex Fudge (LSU), Justin Moore (Villanova), Darius Days (LSU), Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall), Tre Mitchell (Texas), Dawson Garcia (North Carolina), and more.

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

LSU earns 3rd consecutive win with blowout against Georgia

LSU took care of business at home against the Bulldogs, winning 84-65.

LSU won its third straight on Wednesday night as it took care of business against the Georgia Bulldogs with an 84-65 win.

For most of the first half, Georgia was able to keep it a game, even leading 20-19 at one point. From that point on, though, it was pretty much all LSU. The Tigers ripped off a 17-0 run and didn’t look back.

In what has been a rare occurrence this season, LSU took a large lead into the half as it led by 16 heading into the locker room.

Once again, it was forward Tari Eason leading the charge. He played a large role in that first-half run, scoring 17 points in the first 20 minutes, and he finished the game with 21 points.

For most of the second-half, LSU maintained a 20-plus point lead, even stretching to as much as 32 in the final five minutes.

Despite struggling from three-point range, forward Darius Days had one of his best games of the year as he was efficient with two-pointers and active on the boards, leading LSU with 12 rebounds while also scoring in double figures with 15 points.

Brandon Murray also continued to show promise that he can be a plus to an LSU offense that’s had its fair share of struggles this year. He matched Days’ scoring mark with 15 points of his own.

The Tigers needed to flex their muscles tonight against a Georgia squad that’s barely in KenPom’s top 200. LSU has come out flat against teams with lesser talent far too often this season, but that was not the case on Wednesday.

It was one of LSU’s best offensive performances of the year, and their best in SEC play. Georgia, meanwhile, was led by Kario Oqubendo, who had a game-high 26 points.

The Tigers have reached the end of their two-game homestand and will travel for their next one when they face South Carolina on Saturday in Columbia.

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