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LSU Basketball: Why Tigers will prevail over Yale in 2019 NCAA Tournament

By Brandon Simberg

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 25: Naz Reid #0 of the LSU Tigers attempts a shot during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at HP Field House on November 25, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 25: Naz Reid #0 of the LSU Tigers attempts a shot during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at HP Field House on November 25, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 15: A LSU Tigers cheerleader performs in the game against the Florida Gators during the Quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 15: A LSU Tigers cheerleader performs in the game against the Florida Gators during the Quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Despite a tumultuous past few weeks for LSU Basketball, the Tigers did enough to secure a three seed in the East Region and will take on the No. 14 seed Yale Bulldogs on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Yale has been a trendy upset pick thus far. With Will Wade not expected to be reinstated by Thursday’s game due to an ongoing FBI investigation, people think the Tigers can be upset. However, even without their head coach I expect LSU Basketball to win on Thursday and here are three reasons why.

1. Yale’s style favors LSU

If your preconceived notion of Yale was that they are a team that likes to slow the game down and run their sets like several Ivy League teams do, then you would be incorrect. Yale, the highest scoring team in the Ivy League, actually likes to get out in transition and push tempo. They play at an even faster pace than LSU.

This style of play worked against slower Ivy League teams but, it won’t be as successful when matched with a more athletic LSU team. The key to beating the Tigers, as Florida demonstrated last week, is to make them play in the half court. But Yale gives up the second most points per game in their conference and does not play enough defense to stop the Tigers.

LSU is terrific in transition with multiple ball handlers that can push the tempo and big men like Naz Reid, Kavell Bigby-Williams, and Emmitt Williams that love to run the floor and dunk. If Yale tries to get in a track meet with this Tigers team, they will be in trouble.

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