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NCAA Basketball: Top 25 strongest backcourts for 2020-21 season

By Ian Mumm

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats takes a foul shot during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on March 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats takes a foul shot during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on March 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – MARCH 23: Javonte Smart #1 of the LSU Tigers (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – MARCH 23: Javonte Smart #1 of the LSU Tigers (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

20. LSU Tigers

The Bayou Bengals are coming off back-to-back seasons finishing within the top-2 of the SEC conference and are entering their 3rd-straight season signing a 5-star recruit. It’s difficult to say until it plays out, but this year’s version may be the best one yet. Guard Cam Thomas is a dominating scoring presence on the floor and led the EYBL circuit with 31.1 points per game over a 10-game span.

He is a pure volume shooter and can get to any spot on the floor he wants. He will undoubtedly command the offense for LSU this season, despite the return of Ja’vonte Smart and Charles Manning Jr.

Smart started in nearly every game last season next to Skyler Mays and led the team in assists. With the arrival of Thomas, the starting lineup will likely look similar to the 2018-19 season with Tremont Waters at the helm and a 3-guard lineup for Coach Wade. Smart will be a direct benefactor of such a dominant scoring threat on the floor and receiving more space to shoot and attack the basket. Similarly to 2018, the Tigers should expect to run more up-tempo than they did in 2019 and will allow easier looks at the rim for guys in Smart’s position.

Although offensive voids could boost Charles Manning Jr.’s scoring over 10 points per game this season, the best possible version of LSU’s backcourt could be to immediately utilize freshman Eric Gaines in the starting lineup. Gaines is a very shifty ball-handler and has a lengthy frame to attack the rim and score with finesse.

He has upside in the open floor and plenty of acceleration to beat defenders one-on-one. He is a nice secondary option to take the heat off of Cam Thomas in the half-court and balancing the offensive attack a little more.

The large influx of scoring talent to the Tiger’s 2020 backcourt, as well as the return of Trendon Watford in the frontcourt, positions this program well for success nationally and in the conference for yet another season. How quickly they adjust on the defensive end should be the key determinant of success this team experiences this season.

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