Team Defense Leading to Individual Success for LSU Basketball Players

Tigers with five players in the top 10 in the country in individual defensive rating

If you had told Darius Days this time a year ago that he would be No. 2 in the country in individual defensive rating, he probably would've laughed in your face.  

But that's how good this LSU team has been defensively through 14 games of the 2021-22 season, allowing a number of individual players to have career years on the defensive side of the ball. As it currently stands, the Tigers have five players in the top 10 of individual defensive rating in the country according to Sports-Reference.

1) Tari Eason-71.9

2) Darius Days- 76

4) Eric Gaines- 76.8

7) Efton Reid- 77.2

8) Mwani Wilkinson- 77.7

Gaines, Wilkinson and Xavier Pinson are all among the top 10 in steals in the SEC while Eason and Reid are both averaging nearly one block per game, also top in the conference. 

"That's crazy me being here for four years I never would've thought I would be in top 10 in defense," Days said. "That's very exciting, guys are locking in on the defensive end, we take pride in playing defense for each other." 

The on ball defense this team has played all season has been nothing short of elite, leading the country in adjusted defensive rating at 83.2, nearly three points better than second place Tennessee, who the Tigers play Saturday evening. For a player like Days, who's had to guard opposing teams centers in past years with the program, being able to cover players more natural to his position and body type has opened up another gear to his intense defensive style. 

He can now switch out on wings on the perimeter and having that ability to also guard bigs, allows LSU's defense to switch one through five when he's on the floor. Coach Will Wade says that individual success on defense only comes with all players being in lock step and not getting put out of rotation.

"It's a little more natural position for him, a little more natural movement," Wade said of Days. "He's a little more comfortable with what he's doing. Look the other side of it is our help side's better, our gap protection's better and you're not as exposed because you have the other guys working together.

"We've got really good defensive personnel, guys that want to play both ends of the court. The scheme we're running isn't all that different from last year but we give our players a ton of credit."

Both Gaines and Days realized this team could be pretty special defensively when it held its first five opponents to 60 points or under, something LSU has done 11 times in the first 14 games this season. A preseason scrimmage against an undisclosed team was where LSU's defense really shined against another elite program, holding a potential contender to under 60 points.

The players equate the success on defense to having great balance of speed, strength, athleticism and pride in the effort they give on that side of the floor.

"We've got the speed with Eric, X[avier Pinson] and Brandon Murray. We've got athleticism from, Mwani, [Alex] Fudge and Tari and then the powerhouse with me and Efton making all the effort plays," Days said. "That plays a key part to our defense, everybody plays key roles."

Now preparing head-to-head with one of the other elite defensive teams in the country, the Tigers are ready to really put college basketball on notice in the physical ways they defend.

"That's where the energy comes from," Gaines said. "Defensive wins games, wins championships and we've been successful."