No. 23 LSU will try to keep its momentum rolling when it hosts UNC Greensboro on Friday night.
The Tigers got off to an impressive start earlier in the week with a 94-63 win over Southeastern Louisiana, which featured Will Wade’s young talent showcasing their high potential.
UNC Greensboro got a 74-66 victory over North Carolina A&T to open up the season, and it’ll try to translate that into an upset win in Baton Rouge.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this matchup.
Game Details
- UNC Greensboro (1-0) at No. 23 LSU (1-0)
- Location: Pete Maravich Assembly Center – Baton Rouge, LA
- Game Date: Nov. 9
- Game Time: 8 p.m. EST
- Watch: SEC Network+
Players to Watch
Tremont Waters (LSU)
The Tigers had six players scored in double figures against SE Louisiana, and the fact that one of them wasn’t Waters shows you the depth of talent that Wade and his staff are working with this season.
Of course, there’s no reason for concern that Waters only had nine points in 23 minutes, as he’s undoubtedly one of the best playmaking guards in the entire country.
What he does so well is make others around him better, and all the other young talent on LSU’s squad this season is already grabbing the rewards from of his excellent at point guard.
Naz Reid (LSU)
We talked all offseason about Reid’s ability to step in right away and make a huge impact, and sure enough, he did just that in his debut game.
The 6-10 forward had 17 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes of action, and there were several highlight moments that showed how much of a force he can be for the Tigers.
Reid is going to be a matchup nightmare for many opponents this season, as his ball handling and passing skills for his size is going to allow him to make plays even when he’s not scoring points.
Francis Alonso (UNC Greensboro)
The 6-3 senior brings a lot of experience and scoring ability to the Spartans’ lineup, and he picked up where he left off last season in the team’s opener.
Alonso scored 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting and chipped in six rebounds as well in 25 minutes of play.
Everything that UNC Greensboro wants to do will go through Alonso, and he could wind up being one of the more impactful guards in college basketball this season.
Key Stats
The Spartans are coming off of their best season ever, and one of the main reasons why they were so successful was their commitment to defense.
They finished 26th in adjusted defensive efficiency and are great at forcing opponents to take contested looks on a frequent basis.
UNC Greensboro is also very good on the offensive glass (35th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage last season), which was shown by their 19 second-chance opportunities against North Carolina A&T.
LSU has been one of the more efficient teams in the country offensively since Wade took over (23rd in offensive efficiency in ’17-18), so how the Tigers attack the quality defense will be worth watching.
Game Outlook
- Spread: LSU -10.5
- Over/Under: 144
- KenPom Projection: LSU, 78 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: LSU, 76.9 percent chance to win
Most people may brush this off as just another non-conference game for the Tigers, but it likely won’t prove to be that easy.
UNC Greensboro has a lot of pieces back from last season’s 27-win team, and that core – which also includes highly-skilled 6-10 forward James Dickey – isn’t going to back down from a challenge.
The Spartans came roaring back from a big deficit to win at NC State a season ago, so they are tested in power conference environments.
Still, even if the experience lies with UNC Greensboro, LSU is the more talented team and should find a way to hold off the upset-minded visitors.
Prediction: LSU 78, UNC Greensboro 70
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.