The opening night of college basketball saw LSU impress in a 99-59 victory over Alcorn State.
The Pete Maravich Assembly Center was rocking as the Tigers drew their largest crowd (11,856) for a season opener in at least the last 20 years.
Excitement for LSU basketball has spiked since the hiring of Will Wade and it could not have been more obvious on Friday night.
LSU looked focused and intense from the tip-off. The Tigers played a hardnosed game on the defensive end that limited Alcorn State’s opportunities.
Offensively, the Tigers showed great team chemistry and exceptional ball movement which allowed LSU to shoot better than 60 percent from the field.
Freshman point guard Tremont Waters led the team with an outstanding 27 points, six assists, and five rebounds.
LSU now has to look toward their next opponent, the Samford Bulldogs.
Samford is a quality opponent from the Southern Conference (SoCon) who will look to follow up their recent victory against Alabama A&M.
Players to Watch
Tremont Waters (LSU)
Waters was brilliant during his 27 minutes on the floor in his LSU debut. The freshman shot 61 percent (9-of-13) from the field and 67 percent (4-of-6) from 3-point range.
While he is only a freshman, it was evident on Friday night that Waters can be a leader in Wade’s two-point guard system.
Even the league office took notice as Waters was named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance vs. Alcorn State.
Now that the SEC has named Tremont Waters SEC freshman of the week, see how his game matched up nationally & vs. past LSU freshman.https://t.co/e3vyGq82cP
— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) November 13, 2017
It will be interesting to see if Waters can continue his hot start on Thursday night in game 2.
Alex Thompson (Samford)
Thompson is a 6-8 senior forward who transferred from Auburn after the 2014-15 season.
This season, Thompson is Samford’s only player averaging double figures in scoring with 10.5 points per game.
Samford will look to feed Thompson in the low post and get him going against LSU’s bigs early on in the game.
Thompson is Samford’s best chance at establishing the all-important post presence that will be needed in this one.
How LSU Can Win
LSU will look to implement a very similar gameplan to the one they used against Alcorn State.
It will all start on the defensive end of the floor where Wade has had so much success in previous coaching stops.
LSU’s guards will be expected to apply pressure and protect the perimeter while the post players will need to provide a thorough patrol of the paint.
Meanwhile, the LSU offense will need to be efficient with each possession. In the last game, LSU only turned the ball over seven times while having 18 assists as a team. Similar numbers against Samford will be expected.
If LSU is able to maintain the offensive efficiency and high-level of defensive play that we saw in their last outing, this contest should follow a similar script to that of the season opener.
How Samford Can Win
Samford will need to start the game focused and with intensity.
In Samford’s lone win of the season, the Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 21-3 lead over Alabama A&M which allowed them to coast to victory.
Also, three Bulldogs finished with 10+ points in that game. Samford will need something similar from its top players to provide the balance needed to win a road game in this setting.
If the Bulldogs are able to combine consistent play from its key contributors with a locked-in defensive mentality, Samford will have an opportunity to shock the crowd at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Game Details
Date: November 16
Time: 8 p.m. EST
TV: SEC Network+