LSU Basketball Falls to No. 21 in AP Poll After Loss to Auburn

LSU welcomes another top 25 opponent in Kentucky to the PMAC for SEC home opener Tuesday

It was expected following a double digit loss to Auburn but LSU basketball fell in the latest AP and NET rankings. The purple and gold came in at No. 21 in the AP top 25 after the 70-55 loss in Auburn, the team's first of the season.

The Tigers would also drop to No. 5 in the NET rankings, after pretty consistently falling in the top three over the last handful of weeks. 

It just wasn't a good way to start conference play for Will Wade and company as a poor shooting night became the talking point of just how good this team can be. Immediately after the game, Wade was impressed with the way his group came out and fought with heart but just lacked the discipline to make it a competitive outing for most of the night.

"We've gotta learn from it, gotta grow from it. You can't simulate this, this what life's like on the road in the SEC," Wade said. "We will, we've got great kids, great character and nothing's changed about this team. I thought our guys prepared really well, I thought we were focused, shoot around was really good. We just lost our way a little bit."

For this team to be competitive in the SEC it simply must find ways to make perimeter shots and Wade may have a few more tricks up his sleeve. Freshman guard Justice Williams received his first playing time of the season and looked relatively comfortable shooting the ball from the outside. 

How this team looks with Brandon Murray back in the fold will also change the trajectory of this team as Wade admitted LSU missed his intensity on both ends of the floor in the Auburn loss.

LSU's next opponent, Kentucky, is coming off a two win week, destroying Missouri and High Point college to rise up the rankings to No. 16. The Tigers and Wildcats are set to tip off at 6 p.m. Tuesday night with the purple and gold hoping to find their footing in their own arena against another formidable foe.