Tiger Roar: The 2018-19 LSU Basketball Chronicle
A comprehensive examination of the LSU Tigers' pivotal 2018-19 season, marked by conference dominance and a deep NCAA tournament run.
Season Overview ๐ Game Highlights ๐๏ธDive in with Flashcard Learning!
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Season Overview
SEC Dominance
The 2018-19 LSU Tigers basketball team achieved significant success, finishing with an impressive 28-7 overall record. Their conference performance was particularly stellar, securing the Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular season championship with a 16-2 record.
NCAA Tournament Journey
As a highly-ranked team, LSU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. They advanced through the early rounds, defeating Yale and Maryland, to reach the prestigious Sweet Sixteen. Their tournament run concluded with a loss to eventual Final Four participant Michigan State.
Coaching and Staff
The team was led by Head Coach Will Wade, in his second season with the Tigers. Tony Benford also served as interim head coach for key games, including the SEC tournament and NCAA tournament, demonstrating the team's resilience and adaptability throughout the season.
Southeastern Conference Standings
Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||
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No. 15 LSU | 16 | โ | 2 | .889 | 28 | โ | 7 | .800 | ||||
No. 10 Tennessee | 15 | โ | 3 | .833 | 31 | โ | 6 | .838 | ||||
No. 7 Kentucky | 15 | โ | 3 | .833 | 30 | โ | 7 | .811 | ||||
No. 5 Auburn† | 11 | โ | 7 | .611 | 30 | โ | 10 | .750 | ||||
South Carolina | 11 | โ | 7 | .611 | 16 | โ | 16 | .500 | ||||
Mississippi State | 10 | โ | 8 | .556 | 23 | โ | 11 | .676 | ||||
Ole Miss | 10 | โ | 8 | .556 | 20 | โ | 13 | .606 | ||||
Florida | 9 | โ | 9 | .500 | 20 | โ | 16 | .556 | ||||
Alabama | 8 | โ | 10 | .444 | 18 | โ | 16 | .529 | ||||
Arkansas | 8 | โ | 10 | .444 | 18 | โ | 16 | .529 | ||||
Texas A&M | 6 | โ | 12 | .333 | 14 | โ | 18 | .438 | ||||
Missouri | 5 | โ | 13 | .278 | 15 | โ | 17 | .469 | ||||
Georgia | 2 | โ | 16 | .111 | 11 | โ | 21 | .344 | ||||
Vanderbilt | 0 | โ | 18 | .000 | 9 | โ | 23 | .281 | ||||
† 2019 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
Team Roster
2018โ19 LSU Tigers Men's Basketball Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Game Schedule & Results
Non-Conference Regular Season | |||||||||||
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Nov 6, 2018 7:30 pm, SECN+ |
No. 23 | Southeastern Louisiana | W 93โ64 | 1โ0 | 17 โ Reid | 10 โ Williams | 2 โ Tied | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (10,513) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Nov 9, 2018 7:00 pm, SECN+ |
No. 23 | UNC Greensboro | W 97โ91 | 2โ0 | 29 โ Reid | 7 โ Reid | 10 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (8,613) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Nov 13, 2018 6:00 pm, SECN |
No. 22 | Memphis | W 85โ76 | 3โ0 | 19 โ Mays | 10 โ Williams | 8 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,295) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Nov 16, 2018 7:00 pm, SECN+ |
No. 22 | Louisiana Tech | W 74โ67 | 4โ0 | 16 โ Smart | 7 โ Williams | 5 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,557) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Nov 22, 2018 6:00 pm, ESPNU |
No. 19 | vs. College of Charleston | W 67โ55 | 5โ0 | 14 โ Williams | 9 โ Williams | 11 โ Waters | HP Field House (N/A) Orlando, FL |
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Nov 23, 2018 4:30 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 19 | vs. No. 14 Florida State | L 76โ79 OT | 5โ1 | 19 โ Mays | 6 โ Days | 8 โ Smart | HP Field House (N/A) Orlando, FL |
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Nov 25, 2018 3:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 19 | vs. Oklahoma State | L 77โ90 | 5โ2 | 20 โ Mays | 7 โ Bigby-Williams | 5 โ Waters | HP Field House (N/A) Orlando, FL |
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Dec 1, 2018 4:00 pm, SECN+ |
Grambling State | W 78โ57 | 6โ2 | 15 โ Waters | 9 โ Days | 5 โ Tied | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (8,474) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Dec 9, 2018 1:00 pm, SECN |
Incarnate Word | W 91โ50 | 7โ2 | 16 โ Tied | 10 โ Bigby-Williams | 6 โ Mays | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,098) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Dec 12, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPNU |
at No. 24 Houston | L 76โ82 | 7โ3 | 18 โ Smart | 6 โ Williams | 2 โ Tied | Fertitta Center (7,039) Houston, TX |
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Dec 15, 2018 10:00 pm, ESPNU |
vs. Saint Mary's | W 78โ74 | 8โ3 | 18 โ Waters | 6 โ Williams | 3 โ Tied | T-Mobile Arena (5,107) Paradise, NV |
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Dec 21, 2018 7:00 pm, SECN+ |
No. 24 Furman | W 75โ57 | 9โ3 | 20 โ Waters | 10 โ Tied | 7 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,765) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Dec 28, 2018 7:00 pm, SECN+ |
LouisianaโMonroe | W 81โ69 | 10โ3 | 19 โ Reid | 12 โ Reid | 10 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (10,028) Baton Rouge, LA |
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SEC Regular Season | |||||||||||
Jan 8, 2019 8:00 pm, SECN |
Alabama | W 88โ79 | 11โ3 (1โ0) | 19 โ Waters | 13 โ Bigby-Williams | 7 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,718) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Jan 12, 2019 5:00 pm, SECN |
at Arkansas | W 94โ88 OT | 12โ3 (2โ0) | 27 โ Reid | 10 โ Williams | 11 โ Waters | Bud Walton Arena (17,361) Fayetteville, AR |
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Jan 15, 2019 8:00 pm, SECN |
at No. 18 Ole Miss | W 83โ69 | 13โ3 (3โ0) | 20 โ Waters | 10 โ Bigby-Williams | 9 โ Waters | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Oxford, MS |
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Jan 19, 2019 5:00 pm, SECN |
South Carolina | W 89โ67 | 14โ3 (4โ0) | 15 โ Tied | 13 โ Williams | 6 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (11,607) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Jan 23, 2019 6:00 pm, SECN |
No. 25 | Georgia | W 92โ82 | 15โ3 (5โ0) | 26 โ Waters | 7 โ Reid | 4 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,416) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Jan 26, 2019 5:00 pm, SECN |
No. 25 | at Missouri | W 86โ80 OT | 16โ3 (6โ0) | 24 โ Mays | 8 โ Reid | 9 โ Waters | Mizzou Arena (11,513) Columbia, MO |
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Jan 30, 2019 8:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 19 | at Texas A&M | W 72โ57 | 17โ3 (7โ0) | 36 โ Waters | 11 โ Bigby-Williams | 4 โ Mays | Reed Arena (6,554) College Station, TX |
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Feb 2, 2019 5:00 pm, SECN |
No. 19 | Arkansas | L 89โ90 | 17โ4 (7โ1) | 19 โ Reid | 10 โ Reid | 6 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,311) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Feb 6, 2019 8:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 21 | at Mississippi State | W 92โ88 OT | 18โ4 (8โ1) | 29 โ Reid | 13 โ Bigby-Williams | 5 โ Waters | Humphrey Coliseum (7,456) Starkville, MS |
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Feb 9, 2019 1:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 21 | Auburn | W 83โ78 | 19โ4 (9โ1) | 20 โ Mays | 11 โ Bigby-Williams | 10 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (12,004) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Feb 12, 2019 6:00 pm, ESPN |
No. 19 | at No. 5 Kentucky | W 73โ71 | 20โ4 (10โ1) | 15 โ Waters | 7 โ Reid | 5 โ Tied | Rupp Arena (23,490) Lexington, KY |
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Feb 16, 2019 5:00 pm, SECN |
No. 19 | at Georgia | W 83โ79 | 21โ4 (11โ1) | 20 โ Waters | 8 โ Bigby-Williams | 5 โ Waters | Stegeman Coliseum (10,298) Athens, GA |
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Feb 20, 2019 6:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 13 | Florida | L 77โ82 OT | 21โ5 (11โ2) | 18 โ Mays | 15 โ Reid | 4 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (10,976) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Feb 23, 2019 11:00 am, ESPN |
No. 13 | No. 5 Tennessee | W 82โ80 OT | 22โ5 (12โ2) | 29 โ Smart | 10 โ Bigby-Williams | 5 โ Smart | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,581) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Feb 26, 2019 8:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 13 | Texas A&M | W 66โ55 | 23โ5 (13โ2) | 18 โ Reid | 11 โ Tied | 5 โ Mays | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,614) Baton Rouge, LA |
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Mar 2, 2019 11:00 am, ESPN |
No. 13 | at Alabama | W 74โ69 | 24โ5 (14โ2) | 20 โ Mays | 13 โ Reid | 4 โ Smart | Coleman Coliseum (11,570) Tuscaloosa, AL |
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Mar 6, 2019 6:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 10 | at Florida | W 79โ78 OT | 25โ5 (15โ2) | 19 โ Waters | 14 โ Williams | 6 โ Waters | Exactech Arena (9,550) Gainesville, FL |
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Mar 9, 2019 7:30 pm, SECN |
No. 10 | Vanderbilt | W 80โ59 | 26โ5 (16โ2) | 15 โ Days | 11 โ Bigby-Williams | 8 โ Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,546) Baton Rouge, LA |
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SEC Tournament | |||||||||||
Mar 15, 2019 12:00 pm, ESPN |
(1) No. 9 | vs. (8) Florida | L 73โ76 | 26โ6 | 26 โ Reid | 14 โ Reid | 7 โ Waters | Bridgestone Arena (16,490) Nashville, TN |
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NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
Mar 21, 2019 11:40 am, truTV |
(3 E) No. 12 | vs. (14 E) Yale | W 79โ74 | 27โ6 | 19 โ Mays | 10 โ Reid | 7 โ Waters | VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (12,429) Jacksonville, FL |
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Mar 24, 2019 11:10 am, CBS |
(3 E) No. 12 | vs. (6 E) Maryland | W 69โ67 | 28โ6 | 16 โ Mays | 8 โ Bigby-Williams | 5 โ Waters | VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (14,250) Jacksonville, FL |
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Mar 29, 2019 6:09 pm, CBS |
(3 E) No. 12 | vs. (2 E) No. 5 Michigan State | L 63โ80 | 28โ7 | 23 โ Waters | 9 โ Reid | 9 โ Tied | Capital One Arena (20,728) Washington, D.C. |
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*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East. All times are in Central Time. |
National Rankings
Week | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
AP | 23 | 22 | 19 | RV | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | RV | 25 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 12 | Not released |
Coaches | RV | RV^ | 21 | RV | RV | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ | RV | 19 | 22 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings
^Coaches did not release a Week 2 poll.
2018 Recruiting Class
Naz Reid #3 PF |
Asbury Park, NJ | Roselle Catholic High School | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Sep 12, 2017 | |
Recruit ratings: Scout: | Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:||||||
Emmitt Williams #7 PF |
Lehigh Acres, FL | Oak Ridge High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Jan 26, 2018 | |
Recruit ratings: Scout: | Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:||||||
Javonte Smart #9 PG |
Baton Rouge, LA | Scotlandville Magnet High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jun 30, 2017 | |
Recruit ratings: Scout: | Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:||||||
Darius Days #14 PF |
Williston, FL | The Rock School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | Oct 20, 2017 | |
Recruit ratings: Scout: | Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:||||||
Aundre Hyatt #51 PF |
Charlottesville, VA | The Miller School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | Aug 6, 2018 | |
Recruit ratings: Scout: | Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:||||||
Overall recruit ranking: Note: Recruit ratings vary by source and methodology. |
Offseason Transitions
Player Departures
Following the successful season, several players concluded their eligibility or moved on:
- Brandon Sampson: Declared for the 2018 NBA draft.
- Duop Reath: Graduated.
- Jeremy Combs: Graduated.
- Aaron Epps: Graduated.
- Randy Onwausor: Graduated.
- Brandon Rachal: Transferred to Pearl River CC.
- Galen Alexander: Dismissed from the team.
- Mayan Kiir: Dismissed from the team.
- Wayde Sims: Tragically deceased during the offseason.
Incoming Talent
The Tigers bolstered their roster with new talent through transfers and the 2018 recruiting class:
- Incoming Transfers: Marlon Taylor (Panola College), Danya Kingsby (College of Southern Idaho), Courtese Cooper (Triton College).
- 2018 Recruiting Class: Featured highly-rated prospects Naz Reid, Emmitt Williams, Javonte Smart, Darius Days, and Aundre Hyatt, forming a strong foundation for future seasons.
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Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
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