A few weeks ago when LSU head coach John Brady was fired, nobody could tell how LSU would react. Well the reaction was good… really good. Butch Pierre has already tripled Brady's SEC wins this season with victories over back to back defending champion Florida by 12 points, Mississippi by 20 and South Carolina by seven. In all of these games, LSU had outstanding defense and lights out shooting.

Pierre's tenure with the Tigers began with a game against current the No. 1 Tennessee Vols. The Tiger defense looked outstanding, while the shooting looked great at times. A turnover late in the game and a dunk that was .5 seconds too late led to a two-point Tennessee win. Not many were sure if LSU was just showing emotion and playing hard for Pierre's first game, or if Pierre's coaching was that good. It would take a few more SEC games to realize the truth – it was Pierre's coaching.

After the disappointing Tennessee game, LSU headed out to Gainesville to take on Florida. The defense, as usual, played great, but there was something new, as the offense shot lights out. Everything was falling in for the Tigers – dunks, lay-ups, and even the three ball. After the final buzzer sounded, Pierre could sigh in relief with his first career win by 12 against the defending champions.

One player stood out in the Florida game and showed who the leader of this basketball team is, Garrett Temple. LSU was up by 19 when Temple hustled after a loose ball, fell and bit through his lip and had to exit the ball game. As soon as he left the game, the Tigers offense looked confused, the defense couldn't stop anything and Florida went on a 9-0 run. When Temple re-entered the game, the offense looked flawless and Florida couldn't score, as LSU sealed the deal with a 10-0 run. It was easy to see who this team looked up to.

Three days later, the Tigers were at home taking on the Kentucky Wildcats. LSU had an early lead in the game and a 30-28 lead at halftime. Kentucky came out of the gate with a huge run to open the second half and take a lead, but the Tigers were able to crawl back into it. Kentucky gave LSU many chances to come back and win the ball game, but four free throws in the last 10 seconds sealed a 67-63 Kentucky win.

After the disappointing loss to Kentucky, LSU headed north to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas. With the game tied at 14, Arkansas took off and never looked back, hitting nine three pointers in the first half. Arkansas then coasted to a 87-61 victory, but Terry Martin shined, scoring 18 points for the Tigers. LSU having lost four of it's last five games was struggling to find another SEC victory.

After the tough trip to Arkansas, LSU returned home to take on the Ole Miss Rebels. LSU had an impressive 35-23 half time lead, after leading by as much as 18 in the first half. With Ole Miss still hanging on, LSU went on a 13-0 run to take the lead once and for all. LSU fans got to see something they hadn't been able to see all year, an SEC win at home, as they defeated the Rebels 69-49.

After that great home win, LSU headed to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks. South Carolina held LSU scoreless for the first four minutes of the ball game, but LSU was able to take a three-point halftime lead. The game was close all the way down to the last minute, as LSU held on to win 62-55. LSU got its fourth SEC win and Pierre gets his third career win.

Pierre has shown his worthiness to be considered for the LSU vacancy. He has led his team to solid games against Ole Miss, Florida, and South Carolina, as well as close games with No. 1 Tennessee, losing by only two, and Kentucky, losing by four. Before Pierre stepped in as interim coach LSU had looked sloppy on defense and the offense looked confused. Since the Brady's firing, the offense and defense have both looked flawless. For others, three wins might not be much, but for a team with four conference wins overall, it's a lot of hope, as LSU prepares for the end of the season and the SEC tournament.