Cam Thomas to lead LSU Basketball over Osun Osunniyi and St. Bonaventure

2. Respecting Osun Osunniyi’s shot-blocking ability

There is no doubt that St. Bonaventure’s Osun Osunniyi is a big-time shot blocker who uses his length and patience to go and track down the ball in the air. This is something that Saint Louis discovered in the Atlantic 10 semifinals when Osunniyi recorded seven blocks in the Bonnies’ crucial 71-53 victory.

For whatever reason, the Billikens were perfectly fine with treating Osunniyi like a token big who wasn’t a legitimate threat to block nonsensical shots at the rim. When a Saint Louis guard saw that they could turn the corner and get around to the rim, they elected to avoid contact and go up as though there was no rim protector in sight (which didn’t bode well for them early on). If Will Wade and company decide to watch that game between now and Saturday, they should pick up on the fact that will only have success when they enter the paint if they do two main things.

For starters, the Tigers must acknowledge Osunniyi’s presence by attempting to initiate contact with him while trying their best not to double-clutch (because that could potentially cause the referees to swallow their whistles).

If Osunniyi has to resort to breaking the plane of verticality due to the Tigers’ forceful and aggressive drives, he may pick up a few quick fouls that could prevent him from staying on the floor for long periods of time. And if Osunniyi decides not to put himself in position to be whistled for costly fouls at the rim, he may find himself surrendering mildly contested layups because of LSU’s ability to use their bodies to get him off balance (and maybe even take him out of plays).

Next, the Tigers will have to be under control when they are attacking the rim. Doing so will reduce their chances of stumbling on their way to the basket, and allowing Osunniyi to devour every ridiculous prayer that is thrown up as a result. Playing under control will also allow the Tigers to utilize shot fakes and get Osunniyi off his feet frequently.

I understand that it can be difficult for players to slow down and think about who may waiting for them under the basket when the lane opens up, but I can almost guarantee you that the Osunniyi will have a field day if the Tigers don’t give him a serious challenge when they arrive at the rim.

Allowing him to effortlessly do the one thing that he does best will make it difficult for the Tigers to triumph against the Bonnies. If they seriously believe that there is not a quality shot available for them when they encounter Osunniyi, I would strongly suggest that they kick the ball back out to the perimeter, or possibly locate an open teammate down low if the Bonnies don’t rotate correctly.