LSU Basketball Comes in at No. 17 in Latest AP Poll Rankings

Tigers continue climb up standings with elite defensive play being the trademark for this group

LSU is soaring into the national college basketball discussion with its 11-0 start to the season. Coming off another gritty 66-57 win over Louisiana Tech, the purple and gold continued to rise up the AP Poll, coming in at No. 17.

Additionally, LSU continues to hover at No. 3 in the NET rankings, the main system used come NCAA Tournament time when the committee is constructing the brackets. The Tigers and their undefeated start to the season are now one of just six teams who remain undefeated in college basketball. 

Other SEC teams that have consistently been in the top 25 are Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Kentucky, all teams LSU must face in its first seven conference games of the season.

Will Wade and company have been able to win in a number of different ways this season, but Saturday's win over the Bulldogs was one of the most impressive of the season. 

With LSU trailing by three at the seven minute mark, the Tigers finished the game on a 14-2 run to secure the win over a non-conference opponent that will likely make a strong NCAA Tournament case this season. Forward Tari Eason continues to make his case for SEC Player of the Year with his performance, dropping 21 points, including nine which came during that final stretch of the game. 

"I thought Tari [Eason] and [Darius] Days were tremendous. Days had 18 rebounds. The offensive glass kept us alive in the first half," Wade said after the game. "I thought Eric Gaines played a great floor game, he played maybe one of his best games at LSU. Tremendous atmosphere, LA Tech is a tremendous ball club. It was good for basketball in this state that we come up here and 6,500 people to watch two teams play on a neutral court. I thought it was a great afternoon of basketball and excited to get a win.”