2012 NIT: LSU Tigers Statistics

Below are some relevant statistics on the LSU Tigers heading into tomorrow’s NIT match-up for the Oregon Ducks against LSU.

1. LSU had an offensive efficiency rating outside the top 250 in the country, but their defensive efficiency was 53rd in the nation. The Tigers live off of holding down their opponents, so the Ducks will definitely need to play better on offense than they did against Colorado.

2. Center Justin Hamilton is the team’s best player and was worth 5.3 wins, which was one of the top five marks in the SEC. He has a 22.3 PER and was one of the top five defensive players in the conference as well; he is the anchor of a good defense.

3. Storm Warren may not be the most efficient player, but he is a solid rebounder who almost never turns the ball over and plays strong defense (.89 oPPP). He is one of the best ten defensive players in the conference.

4. Anthony Hickey, like Warren, is one of the best ten defensive players in the conference and has been worth at least 2.5 wins on defense. He is a great passer who can rack up the steals and make it look easy.

5. Ralston Turner is a player to take advantage of, because he has a terrible 9.9 PER and allows more points than he generates. He has still been worth about two wins this season, but that’s mainly because he has played in 32 games. He isn’t a terrible player, but he is somebody who the Ducks can take advantage of defensively.

6. Besides the big three of Hickey, Warren, and Hamilton, Johnny O’Bryant is the only other player with an above-average PER. O’Bryant can wipe out the offensive boards and is the team’s best pure rebounder. He is a huge liability on offense, but he makes up for it with lockdown defense and highly efficient rebounding. You don’t want to have to fight for rebounds with him, which could be a problem for the Ducks and their mediocre rebounding against LSU.

7. The guy to watch out for in this game is Justin Hamilton, because he is the one player on LSU who can take a game over. He forces offensive players outside and completely changes the dynamics of a defense; underrated his D at your peril.

Hopefully this gives you guys a better idea of what the players on LSU bring to the table, and look for more statistical studies in the future; maybe even one more on LSU before the NIT game.

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