Season Review INTRO THIS IS LSU YERS A PL CHES A CO A Learning REVIEW Puzzle Trying to relate the story of the 2003-04 The Tigers strong start and ability to score than they would have earned in a normal basketball season is like trying to connect the three important road wins in the mid-portion situation setting them up for a stronger parts of a jigsaw puzzle. There are so many of the SEC schedule, allowed LSU to be a showing this season. They were battled tested pieces of the story that come together very player in the race for the SEC championship in the conference, nearly upsetting nationally- easily, but then again there are a few pieces into mid-February. But a key injury would prove ranked Kentucky and then rallying strongly in PREVIEW that no one can quite figure out where they fit. to be devastating to the team's chances to the second half to beat Ole Miss on senior And so it went, with the LSU Tigers and their 18- finish the job and LSU finished the season in night. In the end, LSU did go to its fourth post- 11 season. It was better than it looked in the the National Invitation Tournament. season tournament in Coach John Brady's final analysis and in the end, the returning However, through it all, there was a silver seven years at LSU and continued a trend that players learned a lot about what was needed to lining. Over the course of the final eight saw the Tigers average just shy of 20 wins be a success. games, freshman Tigers got more minutes over the last five years. RECORDS BRANDON BASS Starting the year as LSU's sixth man, probably one of the most consistent The Baton Rouge freshman had a strong opening season in the league and since Willie Sims on the 1981 NCAA Final Four team, Mitchell moved into was named the league's freshman of the year for his performance. Bass the starting lineup for good on Jan. 31 in the win at Alabama and started the averaged 12.8 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per contest, while making last 12 games, 17 overall for the season. Y 50.4 percent of his field goal attempts and an impressive 78.3 percent of his OR free-throw attempts (123-of-157). JAIME LLOREDA Bass had seven double-doubles and failed to score in double figures in The story of the 2003-04 season has to include the senior who helped just seven games. He scored 22 points in the Nokia Sugar Bowl against with LSU's success early in the conference season. After missing the season HIST Alabama-Birmingham, 20 in a win at Arkansas and 15 in another SEC road opener as part of a discipline package instituted by Coach John Brady for a win at Alabama. In the last five games of the season, Bass was 22-of-37 from rules violation, Lloreda scored 30 points and grabbed 21 points against the field (59.4 percent). McNeese State (Nov. 24), becoming the first LSU player to get 30-20 since Bass was honored as the Dick Vitale SEC Diaper Dandy of the year and Shaquille O'Neal pulled those exact numbers in a Feb. 22, 1992 game against was chosen to the national All-Freshman team by Collegeinsider.com, Auburn. Foxsports.com. and Rivals.com. Lloreda for his 21 games averaged 16.9 points (6th in the SEC), 11.6 Bass finished 20th in the league in scoring, seventh in rebounding, eighth rebounds (1st in SEC, 2nd in NCAA) and 58.1 percent from the field (3rd). LSU in free throw percentage and second in the league in blocked shot average Lloreda's toughness was of no question in a Feb. 14 win at Florida, when (1.93 bpg). Bass' 56 blocks ranks eighth all-time for a single season at LSU. he continued to return to the game after rolling his right ankle twice to go with bursitis problems in his left Achilles as he scored 19 points in an DARREL MITCHELL important LSU road win. But that toughness left him as he struggled in In two seasons, Mitchell has become one of the top percentage shooters succeeding games for the Tigers and eventually decided not to play anymore, in the Southeastern Conference. In 2003, Mitchell made 42-of-99 attempts leaving the team for Miami late in the month. from the arc (42.4 percent) and then followed it up in 2004 by making 67-of- 160 (41.9 percent). His two-year percentage of 42.1 percent is tied for the EXTENDING STREAKS third best in LSU history. Better than those numbers were that he hit 47.9 The Tigers continued the streak of winning for Coach John Brady when MEDIA percent from outside the stripe in league games. the Tigers score at least 80 points - 3-0 last season, running the streak to 42- Mitchell had 20 double figure games, 13 in SEC play. He was second in the 0 in the Brady era. league overall in three-point percentage and eighth in steals (1.72 spg) while LSU again remained undefeated at home in non-conference games, now leading the league by a wide margin in percentage in the 16-league contests. extending to 53 games.The Tigers are 55-3 in non-conference play at home in the 94 2004-05 LSU MEN’S BASKETBALL MEDIA GUIDE IN Season Review TRO John Brady era. The last non-conference regular season loss was to Lamar, 70-64, on Dec. 1, 1997. LSU’S 2003-04 SEASON HONORS 2003-04 LSU LEADERS LSU won four games at home last season against THIS IS LSU Louisiana competition, extending a winning streak that Scoring Average is now over 15 years old dating back to Dec. 6, 1988 when Louisiana Tech beat LSU, 111-109, in overtime. Brandon Bass Jaime Lloreda . 16.9 Two nights later, LSU narrowly defeated McNeese State, SEC Freshman of the Year Brandon Bass . 12.8 91-89, to start the present streak which has now reached Collegeinside.com All-Freshman Team Darrel Mitchell . 11.9 47 home games. Antonio Hudson . 10.2 The Tigers also put together a strong streak at the Foxsports.com Freshman All-America Tack Minor . 7.2 Maravich Assembly Center during the 2003-04 season, Dick Vitale SEC Diaper Dandy of the Year after finishing the 2002-03 season with five wins. LSU won Rebounding Average NABC District 8 Second Team PL the first eight games of the 2003-04 season, to give the Jaime Lloreda . 11.6 school 13 straight wins at the Maravich Center, tying for the SEC Academic Freshman Honor Roll A Brandon Bass . 7.4 YERS 7th longest winning streak in the building's 30-plus years. First Team All-Louisiana Antonio Hudson . 3.9 Regis Koundjia . 3.6 HOME AND AWAY Darrel Mitchell . 2.8 The Tigers were 12-3 at home at the Maravich Center Antonio Hudson overall, 5-3 in the SEC, marking the third straight year Field Goal Percentage that LSU has won at least 12 games at home. It also is Honorable Mention All-Louisiana Jaime Lloreda . 58.1 the third straight year that the Tigers were break even or CO Darnell Lazare . 56.3 better in the league. Brandon Bass . 50.4 A The Tigers also played its 500th game in the Maravich CHES Jaime Lloreda Darrel Mitchell . 41.2 Center last season and now has a record of 372-132 (73.8 First Team All-SEC-AP percent). LSU has won 40-of-the-last-50 games since Ross Neltner . 40.0 the 2001-02 season. Second Team All-SEC-Coaches 3-Point Field Goals Made LSU won three road games on the road in the league NABC All-District 8 First Team this past year, at Arkansas, Alabama and Florida. The Darrel Mitchell . 67 Tigers were one of six teams to win at least three road USBWA All-District 7 First Team Antonio Hudson . 40 league games. LSU's three league road wins was the SEC Player of the Week -- 12/29/03 Tack Minor . 32 REVIEW most for the Tigers since they won five in 2000. Xavier Whipple . 12 Regis Koundjia . 9 PAID ATTENDANCE Darrel Mitchell The Tigers paid attendance last season was 9,355, 3-Point FG Percentage giving LSU its third consecutive year with an increase in Third team All-Louisiana Darrel Mitchell . 41.9 paid attendance average at the Maravich Center. The Antonio Hudson . 34.8 Tigers drew a paid average of 8,106 in 2001, 8,534 in 2002 Tack Minor . 33.7 and 8,687 in 2003. The Tigers had three paid crowds of Ross Neltner Brandon Bass . 26.3 PREIVEW over 12,000 in SEC play against Mississippi State, SEC Academic Freshman Honor Roll Xavier Whipple . 24.0 Auburn and Kentucky. Free Throw Percentage GRADUATION Charlie Thompson Brandon Bass . 78.3 Tiger players continue to make strong progress off the Xavier Whipple . 76.6 floor as student-athletes as two more former Tigers - SEC Academic Honor Roll Darrel Mitchell . 71.0 Brian Green and Charlie Thompson - received their Tack Minor . 68.0 diplomas. That makes 11 players who played for Coach Brady to receive their diploma from LSU. Also, since Paul Wolfert Antonio Hudson . 62.2 RECORDS 1997, the Tigers have had 20 members on the SEC Academic Honor Roll Assists Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. Xavier Whipple . 88 Darrel Mitchell .