With a running Waters, LSU offense just flows and drowns South Carolina

Surely after the way the 5-11 (allegedly) pocket rocket lit the fuse on LSU’s stunning 89-67 Saturday home beatdown of South Carolina, Wade should have had security search every inch of the Gamecocks’ team bus to make sure that coach Frank Martin didn’t take him back to Columbia.

They probably could have heisted the compact Waters from the Pete Maravich Assembly Center by stuffing him in a duffel bag.

And speaking of stuffing, Waters’ stat line – 12 points (including a two-handed dunk off a steal), 6 assists and 2 steals in just 25 minutes – didn’t reveal his true cause and effect on a runaway win that improved the Tigers to 14-3 overall and 4-0 in the SEC.

The fact LSU had six players score in double figures was why the sometimes-volcanic Martin could not hide his love and admiration for Waters, even after South Carolina had a four-game winning streak snapped and suffered its largest point spread loss of the season.

“Their point guard (Waters) is a special, special player,” Martin said. “I’m a huge fan of his. He’s difficult to guard when you play well. When you don’t play well, you get embarrassed.

“He is an unbelievable competitor that has great instincts for the game. And in this day and age where you see guys dribble 147 times, he gets everybody the ball. When you cheat, he attacks you. But it’s his competitive nature that puts him over the top. I think he’s phenomenal and he is one of my favorite players in the conference.”

Martin knew it was going to be a long night when he yanked starting guard Tre Campbell less than four minutes into the game because he simply could not stay defensively in front of Waters.

In LSU’s 17-6 run in a 4:25 span that broke an 11-11 tie and gave the Tigers their first double digit lead of the game, Waters had a steal leading to his layup and added two assists before he went to the bench for almost a three-minute rest.

During his absence, LSU scored a measly two points on an Emmitt Williams dunk.

When Waters re-entered, he re-lit the Tigers’ engines and took them to a 20-point lead at the half that stretched to 33 points with 13:21 left in the game.

It’s obvious LSU’s offense scores easier when Waters is on the court. All he has to do is get some space to beat a defender or call for a high screen and work a two-man game.

When he’s on the bench resting, more often than not, LSU's offense dissipates into a flurry of passes, too much frantic dribbling and going deep into shot clocks trying to get open looks.

It took Waters almost all of non-conference play and a brief two-game stint coming off the bench for him to adapt to his slightly altered role working with almost an entirely new playing rotation.

After a freshman season when he was LSU’s main scoring option and only viable chance to win on a team short on talent, depth and height, Waters and his pink Nike Kyrie Irving Nikes are now comfortably in charge of the Tigers’ organized chaos on both ends of the floor.

He understands what cranks his teammates’ motors.

“(Assistant) Coach Bill Armstrong pointed out when I pick up full court and am active at the defensive end, pick up the ball at half court and pick up on man,” Waters said, “the offense just starts to flow.”

Translated: Waters’ defensive disruptions as the SEC’s steal leader permeates throughout the LSU lineup. All of a sudden, the Tigers have what head coach Will Wade calls “good hand activity” and LSU scores 20 points off 16 South Carolina turnovers.

“We understand basketball is a game of runs,” Waters said. “If we are able to turn them over a lot and convert, we don’t have to play against a set defense.”

But when the Tigers do have to battle a set defense, it’s a whole new world for Waters.

In Wade’s first season a year ago, his team lacked, talent, depth and height. It’s amazing LSU was 18-15 and many of the wins were attributed to Waters offensively taking over games.

But last season when Waters got past opposing guards and into the paint in the land of giants, he usually lofted high-arching drives off the backboard or threw acrobatic passes to Skylar Mays on the perimeter for 3-point launches.

This season, Waters has options on his frequent forays into the lane.

He has slashing, high-flying newbies like Marlon Taylor and Williams who turn simple passes into roof-rattling dunks. He has two big men – 6-11 Kavell Bigby-Williams and 6-10 Naz Reid – both with athletic ability and high basketball intelligence. He has dependable snipers waiting on the perimeter – returning starter Mays and freshman Ja’Vonte Smart – for his special delivery passes.

Just a month ago, Wade pulled Waters from the starting lineup and had him come off the bench for two games.

The natural reaction was “What’s wrong with Tremont? Why is Wade benching him?”

There was no lesson to be learned.

Waters simply needed to see and understand how his role had changed suddenly surrounded with a bevy of athletic weapons. He now knows when to choose his spots to take over games, and not necessarily by solely scoring.

Just before Waters was re-inserted back into the starting lineup seven games (and wins) ago, he explained how he fits in this year.

“I’m embracing my role,” said Waters, who leads the Tigers in scoring (13.5), assists (6.2) and steals (2.9). “I’m a smaller guard who has to be a pest on defense, helping on the ball, getting back to my man, pretty much knowing I’m the glue guy to the defensive part.

“If I’m active, the rest of the team will be active.”

Is that too simple of an explanation why the Tigers are the only team besides No. 3 nationally ranked Tennessee unbeaten in league play?

Maybe so.

But most of the time, success starts with the basics and for LSU its basic road to victory starts with Tremont Waters.