Editor's Update: The 2020 basketball season was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19 and coronavirus outbreak. LSU finished the shortened season with a 21-10 record.
Baton Rouge is on fire right now. While this is mainly due to the football team going undefeated and winning the National Championship, the LSU men's basketball team won't be putting the fire out anytime soon after the team's 13-4 record and 5-0 start in SEC play.
The Bayou Bengals finished the 2018-19 season at 26-7, including a 16-2 SEC record that crowned the Tigers regular-season conference champions. However, prior to the final regular-season game against Vanderbilt, head coach Will Wade was suspended for the remainder of the season due to alleged recruiting wrongdoing. Assistant Tony Benford was named interim head coach.
LSU fell to Florida in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, however, and they made the NCAA Tournament as a three-seed. The big dance started with two thrilling games against Yale and Maryland that earned them a spot in the Sweet 16. The Tigers faced Michigan State but were defeated 80-63.
It was their first Sweet 16 appearance since Glen "Big Baby" Davis led the team to the Final Four in 2006.
Wade was reinstated last April and has the team headed in the right direction so far this season. Senior guard Skylar Mays returns as the leader of the team. Mays, along with freshman Trendon Watford and sophomore forward Emmitt Williams, form a balanced scoring trio. Sophomore forward Darius Days is a double-double threat and leads the team in rebounding.
The LSU Tigers square off against Texas A&M, Florida, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama in the conference season. Louisiana State University plays host to Wade's previous school, VCU, and USC as part of its non-conference college basketball schedule at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Whoever the Tigers take the court against, expect them to be hungry and ready to play.
LSU Men's Basketball Schedule 2019-20
Nov. 2: at Louisiana Tech — Hoops 4 Disaster Relief (Exhibition)
Nov. 8: BOWLING GREEN
Nov. 13: at VCU
Nov. 16: NICHOLLS
Nov. 19: MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY
Nov. 22: Utah State — Jamaica Classic (Montego Bay, Jam)
Nov. 24: Rhode Island — Jamaica Classic (Montego Bay, Jam)
Nov. 29: MISSOURI STATE
Dec. 3: NEW ORLEANS
Dec. 8: NORTHWESTERN STATE
Dec. 18: EAST TENNESSEE STATE
Dec. 21: USC — Basketball Hall of Fame Classic (Los Angeles, CA)
Dec. 29: LIBERTY
Jan. 4: at Tennessee*
Jan. 8: ARKANSAS*
Jan. 11: MISSISSIPPI STATE*
Jan. 14: at Texas A&M*
Jan. 18: at Ole Miss*
Jan. 21: FLORIDA*
Jan. 25: at Texas — Big 12/SEC Challenge (Austin, TX)
Jan. 29: ALABAMA*
Feb. 1: OLE MISS
Feb. 5: at Vanderbilt*
Feb. 8: at Auburn*
Feb. 11: MISSOURI*
Feb. 15: at Alabama*
Feb. 18: KENTUCKY*
Feb. 22: at South Carolina*
Feb. 26: at Florida*
Feb. 29: TEXAS A&M*
Mar. 4: at Arkansas*
Mar. 7: GEORGIA*
SEC Men's Basketball Tournament: Begins March 11 in Nashville, TN
* — Denotes Southeastern Conference Game
**— Games will be televised on either CBS Sports, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FS1 or SEC Network
