LSU Basketball: 3 keys to Tigers beating SMU in non-conference battle

The LSU Tigers are off to an 8-1 start, and on Saturday, they travel to Frisco, Texas, to take part in the Compete 4 Cause Classic to take on SMU. The Tigers' 8-1 start indicates the scorching hour start the entire SEC has gotten off to, with all 16 teams with at least six wins and three or fewer losses. LSU has won their games pretty handily, with their triple overtime thriller against UCF where they won 109-102 being their smallest margin of victory so far this season.

They've had quite a bit of success on the offensive end this season, averaging 82 points per game and scoring at least 74 points in all their victories. The only time they didn't score that many was when they lost a game, 74-63, to Pitt at the Greenbrier Tip-Off. Even though their schedule hasn't been the toughest, they've won the games that could be important come tournament time. The road win at Kansas State and the aforementioned win over UCF especially. Even the loss to Pitt is aging very well as we move forward.

Not only has LSU been stellar offensively, but defensively as well. So far, the Tigers are giving up just under 70 points per game, and if you remove the outlier of their triple-overtime game, that number drops to 65. If LSU wants to get another win against a team they could be compared to in the at-large pool at the end of the season, here are some things they will have to focus on.

1. The Tigers must be competitive on the glass at both ends

The first key to an LSU victory is staying competitive on the defensive boards. This is important because SMU is 22nd in the country in offensive rebounds per game and 9th in the country in converting second-chance points. When the Mustangs grab an offensive board, they, more often than not, go right back up with a shot rather than resetting the possession. Defensive rebounding will also be important because SMU is shooting 47% from the field and over 54% on two-point shots and score nearly 86 points per game, which means they don’t miss a ton of shots, which means the importance of defensive rebounding is accentuated.

2. Take advantage of their ability to get to the free-throw line

The next big key for LSU to get a win over SMU is to get to the free throw line. Any free points that can be gained will be important in a game that is likely to see both teams hit the 80-point mark. LSU has a penchant for being able to get to the free-throw line, averaging nearly 23 attempts per contest. This is something that LSU can take advantage of against the Mustangs because LSU makes 74% of their attempts and SMU commits over 17 fouls per game.  I expect LSU’s top five scorers, led by Cam Carter, to attack SMU early and often because the quintuplet has attempted 168 of the team’s 206 free throws.

3. Cam Carter needs to get going early

The last key to a Tigers’ victory is to get their leading scorer, Cam Carter going early. The 6’3 senior, who went home to Louisiana for his final season after spending the previous two at Kansas State, is off to a tremendous start. He’s averaging 17.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and two assists while shooting 44% from the floor, a scorching 41% from deep, and an equally strong 86% from the charity stripe.

The reason it’s important to get him going early is he sets the tone offensively. In the loss to Pittsburgh, he shot just 3-12 from the field, including 0-5 on three-point attempts. But, even in their close wins over UCF, FGCU, and Charleston Southern, he shot just 41% from the field on 14-34.