NCAA Basketball: Kentucky is back, LSU is coming, and more weekly takeaways

3) LSU has figured it out!

It’s easy to forget how much preseason buzz there was about this LSU team because of their lack of a big non-conference win, but there was a lot of hope for the Tigers. They reeled in a top-five recruiting class and returned one of the SEC’s best players in Tremont Waters.

However, the problems with this team were various obvious early. Though talented, they are extremely young and it showed defensively and with their decision-making, especially when it came to their shot selection.

Losses to Florida State, Oklahoma State, and Houston caused the Tigers to fall off the national radar but they’re back thanks to a seven-game win streak – one that has them tied with Tennessee for first in the SEC.

They’ve settled into head coach Will Wade’s system, have improved defensively and, perhaps most importantly have settled into their roles. Waters is still the leader and main distributor while Skylar Mays and Ja’vonte Smart provide perimeter scoring. Then there’s five-star freshman Naz Reid, who is a 6-10 forward with guard-like skills and is one of the biggest matchup problems in the country.

This LSU team has always had talent and, as shown by wins over Ole Miss and South Carolina this week, have started to put it all together. They’re a really, really dangerous team – and I still hold my prediction that they win at least a share of the SEC regular-season title.