Will Wade criticizes team for late-game play despite win over Alabama

On Saturday, LSU picked up a huge win to finish its regular-season campaign with a 21-10 (9-9) record. To illustrate, Will Wade and the Tigers knocked off the No. 25 Alabama Crimson Tide by an 80-77 final. 

It was one of the best wins of the entire season for Wade and the Tigers. However, the LSU coach isn’t completely satisfied by the play of his squad down the stretch.

“Well, we still made quite a few mistakes. We had the four point lead and gave up the three point play when we were too aggressive,” stated Wade, regarding how his team finished the game. “We still made some mistakes. But that’s who we are. We’re an aggressive team. So, it’s hard to kind of dial it back when we’ve got to. It’s just hard to do.

“But we still turned them over 21 times. Ellis had six turnovers. So, we still got to them with our pressure. But we’ll keep working on it. There’s some things we can do to get better. And we’re going to keep plugging away, keep working. Excited to get to Tampa next week.”

While he isn’t completely satisfied, Wade found happiness in the positive result for LSU. Next up is the SEC Tournament, where the Tigers will look to continue their momentum.

Will Wade gives injury update on Xavier Pinson following Alabama win

Moreover, the victory came at a cost. LSU senior guard Xavier Pinson went down with an injury in the process.

Pinson has been a significant contributor for LSU this season, averaging 10.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1,8 steals per contest, while playing an average of 27.3 minutes per game. However, LSU heads into postseason play with a huge question mark on its roster, as Pinson’s status — at least at the moment — remains unclear. In overtime of Saturday’s contest, Pinson banged knees with Alabama Crimson Tide guard JD Davison. He was helped to the sideline and did not return to the contest, ultimately logging eight points and eight assists in 39 minutes played.

Wade provided some clarity on Pinson, one of his most consistent guards, after the victory, and provided some welcome news for LSU fans: it appears that Pinson is OK.

“He’s fine,” Wade said, shrugging off a question about Pinson’s injury status. “He got knocked around and his knee popped. He’ll be fine.”

Though Wade’s answer, word-for-word, was a bit unclear, his tone was quite the opposite. Wade expressed confidence when he said that his guard was “fine,” and it appears that LSU might have Pinson moving forwards after all.