Doesn't matter what sport it is for one fact to loom large. How a team plays in close games tends to be a very accurate indicator of how a season turns out.
LSU's basketball season in2014-15 was very good, no matter how it's dissected or how critical an eye is cast on it. The Tigers finished 22-11 overall, 11-7 in the SEC (tied for third place) and earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2009.
As good all those numbers and accomplishments are, the difference between a very good and a great, program breakthrough type of season was a handful of close games that got away.