Who’s in, Out for LSU

Wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman and running back Jamarion Morrow were listed as questionable on Thursday night’s injury update. I expect that’ll probably be the case again tonight with a final decision coming tomorrow. Of the two, I think Morrow is more likely to be a go for this game, but his workload will probably be limited.

Bethel-Roman hasn’t been healthy since the season opener, and his injury could end up nagging him the whole season. He’d probably be down this week if Terry Bussey were healthy, but since he’s not, ABR will try to give it a go.

For LSU, All-SEC tight end Trey’Dez Green and starting STAR Dashawn Spears have already been ruled out. Green will miss multiple games with a leg injury, while Spears’ season is kaput after an ACL injury last week against Ole Miss.

Who steps in?

The big question for the Aggies becomes, who replaces Morrow and ABR if they can’t play? The answer in the case of Morrow is obvous: freshman KJ Edwards, who has moved up the depth chart and will get a good number of carries if he can stay on the field. The problem is that he hasn’t been able to do that. In ABR’s case, Aaron Gregory will likely step in, but we could also see some of TK Norman as well. While not as explosive as some of his teammates, Norman has earned the trust of the coaching staff. If they want speed, Kelshaun Johnson could get work as well.

Could LSU actually Help reed out?

Reed showed last week, as he has several times over the past two seasons, that he’s more efficient in the hurry up offense than if things are slowed down. That is hard to explain, but he played better against Kentucky in that scenario, as he did against South Carolina and Notre Dame last year. LSU has been getting a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks so far his year, including taking down Trinidad Chambliss three times last Saturday night. Princewill Umanmeilen already has six sacks by himself. That amount of pressure could lead the Aggies to go faster and get the ball out of Reed’s hands just as quickly to avoid pressure. It could also lead to more quarterback runs as the LSU defensive front pushes up the field and gives Reed clear lanes to run through.

No major changes expected

The starting five upfront on offense will likely remain the same, with Tyler Thomas and Lamont Rogers also getting time at guard and tackle, respectively. There has been no serious discussion of benching Reed for Brady Hart, so it’s basically going to be deciding who plays in Bussey’s place (Gregory).

Defensively, Daymion Sanford will continue to see an increased number of snaps as his recovery from an ankle injury suffered in the spring game. Sanford may be vital in this one as the Aggies will likely need someone to track the movements of LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, who has plenty of running ability on his own.

basketball Bits

Former G-Leaguer Bryson Warren is no longer with the program, as the new SEC guidelines made him ineligible. His replacement is a familiar face: Rylan Griffen, who is back in school, taking classes and practicing with the team.

Griffen is playing under a preliminary injunction issued by a Dallas County judge a few months ago, and his hearing on the related temporary restraining order was originally scheduled for Monday. That date has been pushed back indefinitely, and I don’t think either side is in a particular hurry to resolve it. Right now, I think the odds of Griffen and former Texas guard Jordan Pope being eligible are pretty good, giving this team a lot of shooters.

If there’s a Terry Bussey-type with the program right now — someone who is taking up all the air with stories of their improvement — it’s forward Mackenzie Mgbako. Mgbako was supposed to be Bucky McMillan’s big addition last offseason, but he only got into seven games due to a recurring foot injury. Now that he’s 100%, I’m told Mgbako has been extremely impressive during summer workouts. He’s bulked up some, which I think is due to three reasons: first, he needed to. Second, it gives him an opportunity to be more of a low post presence on offense, and third, he can be more of a factor rebounding and playing defense in the post. That was an area where the Aggies suffered severely last year, because they were just undersized and out-muscled. At 6-foot-9, Mgbako has the size to operate in the blocks while having an outside game that can pull fellow bigs away from under the basket.

Another player to look out for is true freshman center Josh Irving. He’s thin at 6-foot-11 and 215 pounds, but he’s got long arms and fights for everything. He’s smooth offensively and adds some athleticism in the post. With Irving, Mgbako, Jamie Vinson, Zach Clemence and likely starter at the 4 Cade Phillips, this group should have more talent and physicality when it comes to playing defense in the paint.

Projected starting lineup

C: Mgbako

PF: Phillips

G: PJ Haggerty

G: Pope OR Griffen

PG: Jalen Reece

Bench players: Pope OR Griffen; Vinson; Clemence; Irving; Lukas Wells; Tyshawn Archie; Jalen Shelley; Neiko Mundey

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