LSU Basketball: Tremont Waters is the star you need to watch

LSU basketball might not be off to a scorching start this season but Tremont Waters is. The Tigers’ freshman is a must-watch talent on television.

Marvin Bagley III, DeAndre Ayton, Mohamed Bamba, and Trae Young have dominated in the 2017-18 edition of the “Year of the Freshman” but they are not alone. One of the most underrated freshmen in the entire nation, Tremont Waters is off to a phenomenal start for LSU this season. With wins over Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Michigan on their resume, the Tigers have the ability to reach the NCAA Tournament this year and a large part of that is due to the play of Waters.

The 5’11” guard has the ability to create for his teammates and get his own buckets. The “eye-test” on Waters matches up remarkably well with his box score stats. For the season, he is putting up 16.8 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. This elite play puts him on the level of several other top guards in the country.

Another thing that sets Waters apart is his efficiency. Through the first 15 games of his career, Waters is shooting more threes (91 3PA) the twos (80 2PA) but he is getting it done from deep. His 41.8% clip from deep is above-average nationally and remarkable considering he attempts more than six trifectas per game.

His last name may be Waters, but the LSU guard has ice in his veins. Against Texas A&M, it was the freshman who made the unreal 3-pointer to give LSU a monster victory.

Kentucky’s freshmen get the majority of the hype of the SEC but Waters is starting to make a name for himself on the national scale. Despite being undersized, Waters is uniquely skilled and continues to show new things in every single game. Due to his ability to affect the game in multiple different ways, it is very hard to gameplan for Waters.

Clearly, Waters’ talent on the court is already helping LSU this year but think about the possibilities for the team moving forward. Entering next season, Waters will likely be one of the best returning players in the entire SEC. That alone will give the Tigers a leg up on the rest of the conference but the program is also bringing in three awesome recruits.

According to 247Sports, LSU’s 2018 recruiting class currently consists of three top-100 players. These should all be able to come in and make instant impacts. The young core of the LSU Tigers is going to be one of the best in the nation next season.

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For now, though, let’s continue to focus on the remarkable freshman year of Tremont Waters. He is off to a scorching start on the court and the headlines are just beginning to come for him. In a league as competitive as the SEC, there will opportunities for LSU to add signature wins. If the Tigers reach the NCAA Tournament, I would not want to be the guard who has to defend Waters.