Jay Johnson evaluates where LSU stands on NCAA Tournament bubble
Heading into the SEC Tournament, On3’s Jonathan Wagner had LSU just inside of the NCAA Tournament with his latest projections. Still technically on the bubble, the Tigers were part of the ‘Last Four In’ with three spots to spare. Head coach Jay Johnson has seen his team roar back in the final half of the regular season after looking destined to miss out after the national championship.
In fact, Johnson believes LSU is currently one of the best teams in college baseball. The grind of an SEC schedule means losses begin to pile on at times, something the Tigers did early on. But as they have been battled tested and continued through the season, wins have begun to stack up.
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“I really believe we’re one of the best teams in the country,” Johnson said. “We’re just playing all of the other ones. Of our ten league series, eight of them are going to be in the NCAA Tournament along with us. Nobody else does that.”
LSU has won four out of its last five series, including a sweep against Ole Miss to close out the regular season. Winning three straight against Texas A&M was huge for the resume as well. The Aggies were ranked No. 1 heading into the weekend.
Tuesday against Georgia at the SEC Tournament was another positive data point. Johnson called upon Gage Jump on just four days rest and he shut down one of the best offenses in college baseball. Another good win for LSU against a top team in the RPI, something they have done a lot of recently.
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“I think that’s our 19th win against the top-45 RPI teams in the country,” Johnson said following the win vs. Georgia. “Less than five teams have that. We’re 9-3 against teams 25-40, which is usually the bubble. So logically, my brain goes to, ‘We’re in a good spot.'”
LSU will have at least two more games in Hoover, hoping to move itself off the bubble completely. Kentucky — an NCAA Tournament team — is next up and depending on the result, a matchup against Arkansas or South Carolina will take place on Thursday.
Johnson will be hoping Selection Monday is not a stressful one in Baton Rouge. He already firmly believes LSU should hear their name called, giving them an opportunity to defend their national championship.