| As the comings and goings at the LSU Football Ops building slow down for the time being Monday, everything over at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center is beginning to speed up. Will Wade's men's basketball team, which is one of just seven undefeated teams left in the nation, will put its 9-0 record on the line at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Northwestern State in the PMAC. The Tigers are coming off a 69-53 win over Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Saturday, but Wade is looking to shore up his transition defense, which has slipped lately even though they lead the nation in allowing 53.7 points a game. That was just part of the story coming out of the PMAC on Monday, however. A little more than a month into the season, LSU's men and women are slowly, but surely, earning some respect in the national polls. On Monday morning, the men jumped up six spots in the AP poll to No. 19 before making a more modest leap in the Ferris Mowers coaches poll, which took the Tigers from No. 24 to No. 20. Then, Kim Mulkey's squad took a couple of steps forward when it climbed to No. 22 in the AP poll after debuting at No. 24 a week ago. The women's coaches poll is due out Tuesday. All that begs the question: Is LSU, as Scott Rabalais asks in his latest column, rediscovering the sport of basketball in a football-crazed state? The easy answer, both Wade and Mulkey would surely ask, "Why can't it be both?" For a fun read, check out how "Pistol" Pete Maravich's lettermen's jacket from the early 1970s fetched $116,924 at auction recently. ONE LAST THING: HERE’S A GREAT DEAL If you’re not a subscriber, come join us. We’re running a great deal for you. Our sportswriters are the hardest-working folks in show business. They’ll keep you up to date on the latest news at LSU (and elsewhere). Support their work and stay on top of everything. Remember: We’re going to have LOTS of news for you in the coming weeks. Stay with us. Happy holidays to everyone! | 