LSU basketball gets respect in national publication power rankings

LSU basketball is the best team in the SEC right now.

It’s just a fact.

The Tigers are currently on a tear. LSU is 11-0 and is looking to improve to 12-0 Wednesday night when they face Lipscomb in Baton Rouge.

Despite their 11-0 record, the Tigers are ranked only 17th in the latest AP Top 25 poll. There are seven teams with two losses ahead of LSU in the standings.

Talk about no respect.

There is, however, a national publication that gives the Tigers the respect they deserve.

LSU basketball tops latest 247Sports power rankings

247Sports unveiled its latest SEC Basketball Power Rankings this week and they gave LSU the respect it deserved.

The Tigers are No. 1 in 247Sports power rankings. They were No. 2 a week ago.

Alabama, which leads LSU in the AP Top 25, fell to No. 4 after being No. 1 last week.

Here’s what 247Sports had to say about the Tigers:

Three straight weeks, three different teams ranked No. 1. The clear message: No team has established itself as the SEC’s favorite entry-level conference game. LSU hasn’t had a real win yet, but it’s hard to tell what the Tigers have done.

LSU racked up massive margins over several quality opponents and only played two close games. Tari Eason was a revelation as a sophomore, taking a lot of the pressure off of Darius Days. Imagine what the Tigers might have looked like if Illinois transfer Adam Miller hadn’t torn his ACL before the start of the season.

247 Sportswriter Robbie Weinstein is right – the Tigers have yet to have a real signature win. Their best win of the year, so far, was against an unranked side Wake Forest who are currently 11-1 (the Demon Deacons should probably be ranked, to be fair).

But that doesn’t change the fact that LSU has won 11 straight — an impressive feat in college basketball in 2021.

The Tigers will have their work cut out for them in the future. LSU begins conference play Dec. 29 on the road against No. 12 Auburn. Next, they host No. 20 Kentucky and No. 19 Tennessee.

It is going to be difficult to stay perfect throughout this period. In fact, if the Tigers go 2-1 in those three games, I could see them jumping into the top five in the AP poll (where they probably should be now, given their record).

At least 247Sports is giving the Tigers the respect they should have.