NCAA Basketball: Michigan’s struggles, a sleeper pick and more weekly takeaways

5) LSU will win a share of the SEC title and is my Final Four sleeper

LSU is the least talked about really good team in the country. I’ve mentioned them in earlier Rauf Reports this year but its worth bringing up again – this is a damn good team.

I picked the Tigers to win at least a share of the SEC in the preseason because of their overall talent level and their schedule. That talent is young, and that youth cost them some games in the non-conference, but they’ve turned a real corner and are playing like a complete team (with the exception of their defensive slip up in Saturday’s loss to Arkansas.

Tremont Waters might be the most underrated player in the country and just dropped 36 points in a win over Texas A&M, while 6-10 freshman Naz Reid is a walking mismatch with his size (6-10, 250 lbs.) and perimeter skills. They lead a balanced offensive attack (four players average double figures and seven rotation players average over seven points per game) that ranks 16th nationally in efficiency.

LSU’s defense has also improved, too, even with that loss this weekend. They’ve allowed fewer than 70 points in five of their last 10 games. Their defensive numbers are skewed slightly because they struggled on that end early in the year (as most young teams do), but they’ve gotten so much better on that end of the floor.

Those traits are the biggest reason why they’re a legitimate contender in the SEC, but those are all traits of teams that make long runs in the NCAA Tournament. Year after year, versatile teams with good guard play, quality offense, and consistent defense make runs. That makes LSU a prime candidate to take advantage of the vast number of flawed teams there are in the country.

Right now, Tennessee and LSU are tied for first in the conference. They only face each other one time this year – and it’s in Baton Rouge on Feb. 23. Other than that, LSU only has one game left against a team that figures to be ranked on Monday (at Kentucky). Meanwhile, the Vols will close the year by playing four ranked teams in the final seven games. Even if you think Tennessee better, their tougher schedule could bring their conference record down to a point where LSU can match it, or even beat it.

There’s usually one team every year that I become a huge fan of and believer in, and this year’s team is LSU. I see a lot of strengths and not a lot of weaknesses. Make sure you take notice of them in March.