LSU Basketball: Return of Ja’vonte Smart huge for Tigers’ 2019-20 hopes
Some good news for LSU Basketball came this weekend with the news that Ja’vonte Smart will be back for his sophomore season. How big a role will he play?
Ja’vonte Smart was having a great freshman season for LSU Basketball, averaging double figures and dropping a season-high 29 points in a massive victory over Tennessee. He was doing well until a report came out, alleging that head coach Will Wade was involved with improper recruiting tactics.
The player mentioned was Smart, with the University being proactive and sitting him out at the end of the regular season while completing their own investigation. He was reinstated and able to play in the NCAA Tournament but struggled mightily, averaging just 6.0 ppg on 8/34 total shooting from the field. In the season-finale loss to Michigan State, Smart went scoreless in 25 minutes.
With the FBI trial cloud hanging over Coach Wade and LSU, just about every underclassmen rotation player on the team declared for the NBA Draft. Star players Naz Reid and Tremont Waters already declared that they’re staying in, hurting the Tigers hopes for next season. Any more departures could really put the team in a bind.
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But with Smart coming back for the 2019-20 season, LSU now has a go-to scorer to rely on in the offense. Although he struggled with efficiency, the 6’4 guard showed the ability to handle the scoring load. And when Waters wasn’t playing well and came off the bench in the non-conference, Smart handled the point guard duties as well, with several games of at least 5+ assists. He could very well be the team’s starting point guard next season.
There are still other decisions that LSU Basketball is waiting on, including what Skylar Mays, Marlon Taylor, and Emmitt Williams will do with the draft. None of them are projected top-60 picks, and with Coach Wade seemingly safe, there’s a strong chance that all will come back to join Smart. Even better news could be coming, with five-star forward Trendon Watford having the Tigers among his final list of teams.
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With a lot of production leaving the SEC, Smart has a great chance of being an All-Conference performer. LSU will need him to play at that level in order to make it back-to-back NCAA Tournament trips. The deadline to withdraw is just over a week away, with Tigers fans hoping for good news overall.