While not always the case, the tallest and strongest players typically grab the most rebounds. The LSU men’s basketball roster has length but is not as blessed with bulk.
LSU (8-1) is tied for 125th in the nation in rebounding margin. That flaw was exacerbated when its strongest big man Jalen Reed — a 6-foot-10, 240-pound junior — suffered a torn right ACL last week that will cost him the rest of the season.
The Tigers will try to mitigate their rebounding weakness with their commitment to playing at a fast pace. However, their matchup against SMU (8-2) at 3 p.m. Saturday in Frisco, Texas, will be a challenge for their rebounding vulnerability.
In all of Division I, the Mustangs are 12th in rebounding margin (+10) and 19th in offensive rebounds (14.5 per game). The way in which they pound the glass compared with LSU is not lost on coach Matt McMahon.
“Our offensive rebounding has been done at a top-25 level in the country, and our defensive rebounding has been below average, quite frankly,” the third-year coach said. “That’ll be put to the test again on Saturday … (SMU) gets about 40% of their misses, which is a really high number.”
The players most responsible for limiting SMU’s rebounding are starting bigs Daimion Collins and Corey Chest, who weigh 200 and 220 pounds, respectively. Collins is coming off the best game of his career and is proactive as an offensive rebounder (2.1 per game).
Chest, a redshirt freshman, is the team’s most aggressive rebounder at 6-8. He has collected double-digit rebounds in his last three games. The duo will be tasked with slowing down SMU 7-2 center Samet Yigitoglu, who is not just a load to box out but is averaging 11.6 points per game as well.
SMU is not just a rebounding juggernaut but a team that is balanced enough to be rated highly by metrics such as the NET rankings, the NCAA’s measurement tool to evaluate teams. The Mustangs are 41 in the NET rankings compared to LSU at 54 as of Friday.
This game also feels weightier because SMU is the last power-conference opponent LSU faces before it enters Southeastern Conference competition, beginning on Jan. 4 vs. Vanderbilt. Beating the Mustangs would give LSU a third power-conference win out of four opportunities.
After SMU, LSU’s last three games before SEC play are against mid-majors foes at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The Tigers will face Stetson, UNO and Mississippi Valley State.
McMahon said he doesn’t approach this contest any differently than a mid-major game but acknowledged that this is a great opportunity to build the team’s resume.
The Tigers don’t have to outrebound SMU to win if their guard play and rim protection shine bright enough.
But McMahon knows that LSU’s rebounding struggles, specifically on the defensive end, need to be addressed.
“We’re trying to be very intentional about (defensive rebounding),” he said. “Every day in practice, we got to continue to get better, not only for Saturday but obviously going into the size and athleticism you’ll see in SEC play.”