SALT LAKE CITY -- If the LSU Tigers display an attitude Thursday in their first-round game against Southeast Missouri State, don't be surprised. No, they aren't just thrilled to be in the land of the snowflakes.

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Never mind the long trip, early start and No. 4 seed; the Tigers feel unappreciated and will probably take it out on the Indians. Lucky them.

"We've been having stuff to prove all year," said sophomore forward Stromile Swift. "Here we are with another obstacle. We're going to try to win the ballgame and make a statement.''

Given where 26-5 LSU was projected to finish this season, namely at the bottom of the Southeastern Conference, where it has resided the past four years, you would think the Tigers would be delighted just to be dancing for the first time since 1993. Not so. They won the SEC Western Division, shared the SEC regular-season title and felt deserving of a No. 3 seed thanks to victories over NCAA tourney qualifiers Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Fresno State and Oklahoma State.

"A lot of people said we couldn't do this, we couldn't do that," said junior center Jabari Smith. "We felt we had the type of team that could win a lot of games."

That first became evident in November during a tournament in Hawaii. LSU won three consecutive games to capture the title, downing Fresno State in the final. This after going 12-15 last year.

"It was a solidifying game for us,'' said third-year coach John Brady, who team opened with 13 consecutive victories.

So was beating 11th-ranked Oklahoma State. But the national eye-opener was an 86-60 drubbing of fifth-ranked Arizona, which happens to the No. 1 seed in the West. That's when it became apparent this was no postseason wannabe.

"We came out knowing we could beat them," Swift said. "We kind of shut down their backcourt."

Much of the credit belongs to Brady, who left smaller Samford to help the Tigers regain pride and respectability after the ouster of Dale Brown. Now in the second-year of an NCAA probation that limits the school to four player signings in three years -- they have one left next year -- and nine scholarship players, Brady has resurrected the program. Don't forget, LSU reached the Final Four in 1981 and 1986 and made 10 consecutive trips to the Big Dance through 1993, an SEC record.

There is much to like about the current group, starting with the turbo-charged Swift, who at 6-feet-9, 225 pounds, can soar through the stratosphere. A bona fide All-America candidate, he averaged a team-leading 16.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and nearly three blocks and is the major reason for the turnaround.

Swift's supporting cast isn't too shabby, either. Junior forward Brian Beshara is the catalyst. He's a fierce competitor and bangs the boards, although his outside shot has been missing. Beshara has made only two of his last 17 3-point attempts and his slump puts added pressure on Swift and Smith.

The most pleasant surprise for Brady has been the quick development of freshman point guard Torris Bright, who averages a team-high 33.4 minutes per game. Primarily a scorer in high school, where he averaged 33 points a game, Bright has become the team's quarterback, sacrificing personal statistics for leadership, ball-handling and defense. As his 132 to 105 assist/turnover ratio suggests, he is poised, makes good decisions, takes care of the ball and is more than capable of burying big shots.

LSU coach John Brady led the Tigers to a 13-0 opening record and finished 26-5.(AP)

"He's as key to us being successful as anyone,'' said Brady. "He has a lot of responsibility."

Another key contributor has been off-guard Lamont Roland, the national junior college player of the year last season. In addition to being a defensive stopper, Roland averages 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds and has become a team leader.

The truth is, Brady has received outstanding performances throughout the lineup and has arguably the most athletic team in the tournament. The high-flying Tigers are at their best on the run and spend seemingly half their time above the rim.

Don't think the fans in Baton Rogue haven't noticed. A year ago, LSU was lucky to draw 6,000 fans for home games. This season, they attracted at least 10,000 for every SEC game and more than 14,000 for Arizona and Auburn.

"I really had no blueprint because where we were operating from, I never knew where the hits were going to come from," Brady said. "There were so many unsettling things."

Not anymore. NCAA restrictions aside, the Tigers are a talented bunch and know they can compete with the best.

The rest of the country needs more convincing.

"I believe there's still a little more work to be done," said Swift. "If we do well in this tournament, it will help us a lot.''