Lions basketball is back, but there is still work to be done

It was GREAT to see LMU Basketball back in action last night as the Lions took on Chapman in an exhibition game in Gersten Pavilion. Firstly, I want to give a huge shoutout to the student section. There were more people there for the exhibition game yesterday than for many games early last season, and that is a fabulous sign. If Gersten can continue to fill up all season long then the Lions can truly have a homecourt advantage on the bluff.

The 83-71 win, however, was not the Lions best. It's the start of the season, and obviously there is rust to be worked off, but a few key things concerned me.

1) The D-III Chapman exploited two of LMU's weaknesses; perimeter defense and free throw shooting. Every team is going to have a weakness or two, but the part that really concerns me is the fact that these were the same weaknesses the Lions had last season. It was disappointing to see that they still exist. Obviously, one exhibition game is not a great sample size, but if Chapman can shoot 50 percent (7-14) from three against our defense then the Portland Pilots and Saint Mary's Gaels are going to shoot LMU off the court. Definitely something the team needs to figure out quickly.

Furthermore, the Lions struggled (again) from the charity stripe, knocking down less than 70 percent of their free throws.

2) Last year one of the Lions major problems was playing down to their opponents. LMU played high quality basketball against Gonzaga, Notre Dame, and other powerhouse teams, but then looked sloppy against some weaker teams like University of San Francisco and Pepperdine. They can't let that happen this season, and just a 12-point victory against Chapman hints at that again.

Now in all fairness, Chapman is a quality D-III team. But if LMU is going to put together the season I know they can, then they have to play better basketball then they did last night.