LSU to decline postseason invitations; Simmons era likely over

After falling short of the March Madness field of 68, LSU announced it will not participate in any postseason events this year.

"We will be able to utilize this time to get better and start preparations for next season," said head coach Johnny Jones in a statement. "We fell short of the mark of getting to the NCAA tournament; I take full responsibility for this team, and will do the things necessary to make sure we are able to reach one of our main goals at LSU in the future."

The program's decision to sit out the rest of the season means Ben Simmons has likely played his last game as a Tiger. The freshman is widely expected to declare for the 2016 NBA Draft, where most mock drafts project him to be selected first overall.

LSU finished the campaign with a disappointing 19-14 record. If Simmons' time in Baton Rouge is indeed over, the lasting image of the Simmons era at LSU may be an embarrassing 33-point loss to Texas A&M.