No. 19 LSU will try to stay unbeaten when it takes on Charleston in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational on Thursday night.
The Tigers have jumped out to a 4-0 start, with the past three wins coming by single digits against a trio of talented teams in UNC Greensboro, Memphis, and Louisiana Tech.
As for the Cougars, they are 3-1 on the season with their only loss coming at Oklahoma State.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this matchup.
Game Details
- No. 19 LSU (4-0) vs. Charleston (3-1)
- Location: HP Field House – Kissimmee, FL (AdvoCare Invitational)
- Game Date: Nov. 22
- Game Time: 7 p.m. EST
- Watch: ESPNU
Players to Watch
Naz Reid (LSU)
The 6-10 freshman played just 10 minutes in the win over Louisiana Tech due to an ankle injury, but Will Wade said earlier in the week that it had seemed to improve.
Reid is averaging 15.3 points and 5.3 rebounds this season while shooting 55.8 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from 3-point range.
He will certainly be a huge asset for the Tigers in this game due to his ability to spread the floor and score in a variety of ways.
Jarrell Brantley (Charleston)
The Cougars don’t feature a ton of size, so Brantley is someone that will need to challenge LSU’s talented frontcourt.
Luckily, the 6-7 senior boasts plenty of experience and is currently averaging 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game this season.
If Brantley can use his strength and versatility to disrupt the Tigers’ flow on both sides of the court, it will go a long way towards helping Earl Grant’s team pull off the upset.
Key Stats
Neither of these teams has had much luck from beyond the arc this season, with LSU ranking 274th nationally at 29.8 percent and Charleston sitting at 342nd nationally at 23.9 percent.
So, one of the keys to victory for both teams will be forcing the opposition to make outside jump shots since the numbers suggest some early struggles in that area.
Something else worth watching will be the style of play, as the Cougars will undoubtedly try to slow this game down and keep LSU from getting opportunities in transition.
Charleston has continually ranked 314th or lower nationally in adjusted tempo since Grant took the job in 2014, and that disciplined approach will be huge against a top 25 opponent.
That will especially be the case on the defensive side of the court, with LSU ranking 10th in offensive rebounding percentage, 13th in 2-point field-goal percentage, and 17th in adjusted offensive efficiency.
Game Outlook
- Spread: LSU -6.5
- Over/Under: 148
- KenPom Projection: LSU, 68 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: LSU, 65.0 percent chance to win
Charleston is an extremely talented and well-coached team that figures to be one of the favorites in the CAA this season.
So, the Tigers can’t come out and expect this to be a cakewalk. It won’t be, and it’s gonna take a focused effort on both sides of the court to counter the Cougars’ style of play.
Wade has a ton of depth to work with on this LSU roster, and that should allow him to find the right mix when it comes to trying to speed Charleston up and force turnovers.
The Cougars typically do a good job of taking care of the ball, but it may be a bit more challenging against an opponent that will try to create havoc to turn defense into offense.
It feels like Charleston is good enough to make things very interesting here, as we saw what it was able to do last season against a team like Auburn in the NCAA Tournament.
But LSU has already played in several close games, and Wade’s team should find a way to earn the win.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 50-10
Game Prediction: LSU 72, Charleston 64
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