NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Baylor rolling, Ohio State tumbling

It appears as though LSU has found its rhythm. After stumbling a bit out of the gates to a 7-4 record without any high-quality wins, the Tigers have now rattled off four consecutive victories over KenPom Top 60 opponents. While their resume still might not indicate a team worthy of being included in the Top 25, their play as of late fits the scope of these power rankings. To put it simply, LSU is starting to put it together and has strung together a solid collection of wins over the past couple of weeks.

During this past week alone, LSU defended its home court with back-to-back hard-fought wins over Arkansas and Mississippi State. While perhaps it would have been better to see the team dominate those opponents at home rather than win by three combined points, wins are wins and those can never be ignored. Head coach Will Wade deserves credit for how well his team has performed to this point after losing a bunch of talent last season.

Perhaps the most notable performers so far this year have been Skylar Mays and Ja’vonte Smart. I was admittedly hesitant to believe in this team heading into the year due to its lack of a true point guard but Mays and Smart have both flashed solid playmaking abilities as leaders of the offense. This backcourt duo is combining to average 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and 3.8 steals per game.

The Tigers boast one of the most potent offensive units in the country and these two guards are major reasons why. Additionally, the likes of Emmitt Williams, Trendon Watford, and Darius Days have all been impactful in the frontcourt as double-digit scorers per game.