LSU Looks to Continue New Tradition Going into SEC Play

An LSU team is 12-1 in January, and guess what—it's not the football team. The basketball team has managed to go through the non-conference schedule having only lost one time, in Houston against a very talented Texas A&M ball club.

Of course, this record must be taken with a grain of salt since many of the wins are against teams like Jackson State, Troy, Northwestern State, and McNeese State. However, they did have a very impressive 12-point win on national TV against Washington State.

The going gets tougher from here on out for the Tigers. After they travel to the west to take on Utah on Jan. 6, the Bayou Bengals begin SEC play when they take on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The upcoming schedule is going to be a tough one for the Tigers, who have looked very impressive in the early going, as they play games like Xavier, Florida, @ Tenn, @ Kentucky, @ Georgia, and Vanderbilt.

These key games should give a better look at how good the Tigers are actually going to be this season, but there are many things that have gone right for LSU in the early going.

Garrett Temple has been phenomenal on the defensive side, holding some opponents' best players in check for almost the entire game, including a stellar performance where he held Southeastern Louisiana's best scoring threat Kevyn Greene to only six points for the game.

Marcus Thornton has to be one of the most under the radar players in the country. He is averaging 18.5 points per game, and yet no one outside of the SEC knows who he is. He had a 32 and a 33-point game this season and is LSU's go-to guy in the clutch when they need a bucket.

By far the biggest surprise of the 2008-09 season has been Bo Spencer. The point guard has averaged double-digit points for the Tigers so far this season and is something that LSU has not seen in a long time: a guard who can run the offense and plays under control (remember the days of Tack Minor?). The Tiger offense is led by Bo, and he has become a force to be reckoned with on the scoreboard.

Finally, some of the credit has to go to Trent Johnson, who in less than a year has turned this team around. He has them moving around on offense and using their offensive sets more wisely. He could be the coach to bring the passion and enthusiasm back into LSU basketball. This has turned out to be a great hire for the LSU basketball team.

What does the rest of the season hold in store for the Tigers? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: If LSU can continue to play the way they have over the past two months, they will be a force to be reckoned with when the NCAA tournament rolls around in March.