No. 22 LSU will aim to keep its momentum rolling early in the season as it hosts Memphis on Tuesday night.
The Tigers are off to a fast start in Will Wade’s second season in Baton Rouge, as they’ve scored 94 or more points in back-to-back wins against Southeastern Louisiana and UNC Greensboro.
Meanwhile, the other set of Tigers kicked off the Penny Hardaway era with a 76-61 victory over Tennessee Tech.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this exciting matchup.
Game Details
- Memphis (1-0) at LSU (2-0)
- Location: Pete Maravich Assembly Center – Baton Rouge, LA
- Game Date: Nov. 13
- Game Time: 7 p.m. EST
- Watch: SEC Network
Players to Watch
Naz Reid (LSU)
Reid has a good chance of being included in this section every time LSU plays this season, and the reason is simple: he’s insanely talented.
The 6-10 freshman has been fantastic through two games in 23.0 points and 6.5 rebounds, which included a dominant 29-point performance in the most recent win against UNC Greensboro.
There just aren’t many players at that size that can see the floor and handle the ball the way Reid can, and that’s going to make him one of the most must-watch players in college basketball this season and a potential top-five pick in next year’s NBA draft.
Tremont Waters (LSU)
The 5-11 sophomore is showing no signs of slowing down after a tremendous freshman season with the Tigers.
Waters is averaging 15.0 points and 6.0 assists to go along with a whopping 5.5 steals per game thus far, and his playmaking ability on both sides of the court is why he’s one of the best guards in the country.
LSU has seven players averaging at least 9.5 points per game, and Waters is a big reason for that due to his ability to make everyone around him better.
Kyvon Davenport (Memphis)
If the 6-8 senior wanted to show his new coach what he’s capable of, he did a good job of showcasing his skills in Memphis’ first game of the season.
Davenport posted a career-high 30 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds in the victory over Tennessee Tech, further showing why he became one of the teams most reliable playmakers last season.
His overall size and athleticism should allow him to be a perfect fit for how Hardaway wants his team to play on a nightly basis.
Jeremiah Martin (Memphis)
Martin is the Tigers’ top returning scorer from last year, where he averaged 18.9 points in 34.7 minutes per contest.
The 6-3 senior went for 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting in the opener, and he’s another player that the new staff will be able to rely on for consistent scoring this season.
With the duo of Martin and Davenport leading the way, Memphis will likely have no issues keeping up on the offensive side of the court in Hardaway’s first year on the job.
Key Stats
LSU was one of the more efficient offensive teams in the country last season, with the Tigers finishing 33rd nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency.
That trend has continued through the first two games of the new campaign, as Wade’s squad sits 15th in the nation in that category due to the stellar play of the Waters/Reid combo.
Of course, there are always potential weaknesses early in a new season, and LSU would like to continue making strides on the defensive side of the court.
UNC Greensboro went 19 of 33 from 3-point range against the Tigers, and Wade mentioned after the game that he hopes to see better defensive execution from his team going forward.
On the Memphis side of things, there isn’t much to gather just yet from a statistical trend standpoint due to a new coaching staff being in place.
But what we do is know is that, just like LSU, Memphis wants to get up and down the floor and push the tempo in the open court.
Game Outlook
- Spread: LSU – 11
- Over/Under: 161
- KenPom Projection: LSU, 80 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: LSU, 80.4 percent chance to win
This has a chance to be one of the most entertaining games of the evening due to the talented offensive players on both sides of the court.
One area that could decide the outcome of this game is rebounding.
LSU has racked up 28 offensive rebounds through two games, and the Tigers’ ability to attack the glass and find extra looks at the basket could go a long way towards getting the win.
What could give Memphis a boost in that area is the return of 6-8 senior Mike Parks, who averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season while starting every game. He didn’t play in the opener due to injury, but Hardaway recently stated that he expects him to be ready for this one.
With the breakout scoring potential of Davenport and Martin, there’s no doubt that Memphis can find enough offense to keep pace in what should be a high-scoring affair.
However, how Hardaway’s team defends the variety of options for LSU is the bigger question mark, and that should allow Waters and company to pick up the win.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 20-4
Game Prediction: LSU 87, Memphis 79
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