Late on Saturday Night, the LSU Lady Tigers will kick off what should be a deep run in the NCAA Tournament as the Lady Tigers take on the San Diego State Aztecs. As a three seed, the Lady Tigers get the advantage of hosting the first two rounds which should further help Kim Mulkey's team as they look to make a run in the tournament once again.
The biggest storyline coming into this Tournament is injuries as Flau'Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow have missed time leading into the tournament. While the oddsmakers have LSU as 25.5 point favorites, this game will be less about dominating and more about proving the team can get back into a rhythm.
In this matchup against the San Diego State Aztecs, the LSU Lady Tigers need to show three things for the rest of the Tournament.
Show that Flau'Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow are healthy
The fate of the LSU Lady Tigers literally depends on two feet as Flau'Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow have dealt with injuries leading into the NCAA Tournament. Flau'Jae Johnson missed the final game of the regular season and the entire SEC Tournament as she dealt with a lower leg injury. Aneesah Morrow left the Tigers' final SEC Tournament game as she reaggravated a foot injury she had been dealing with.
Not only are Flau'Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow LSU's two best players but, they're two of the best players in the Country. If LSU is going to go on another deep run in the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers need their stars to stay healthy and to play at the top of their game. If LSU is going to flame out early, it's likely because of LSU losing one of its pillars to injury.
Solid scoring off of the bench
The LSU Lady Tigers are heavily expected to win this game and they're expected to win this game in a blowout. Given the health issues with Aneesah Morrow and Flau'Jae Johnson, it would be great for LSU if the Lady Tigers were able to get out to a massive lead early on and lead on the bench scorers allowing the Tigers stars to rest up for what will be a grind in this tournament.
At times this season, Kailyn Gilbert has been a star for LSU while Jersey Wolfenbarger and Mjracle Sheppard have shown promise. Resting Morrow and Johnson will only prevent further issues which keeps LSU's ceiling at its highest.
A solid defensive showing
This matchup should be one that Kim Mulkey's team dominates defensively which should allow them to cruise to victory. San Diego State is only scoring 69.4 points per game while LSU scores 84.5 points per game in the much tougher SEC. If Morrow or Johnson miss time in this game, LSU's defense does take a hit but, it shouldn't be too much to overcome. The Tigers will need to play solid defense the entire tournament and locking in early on will allow LSU to carry it forward the rest of the way.