Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Hunt Palmer
LSU hasn’t played a home game in 28 days.
That changes Friday night when Southeastern Louisiana visits to Maravich Center for a 7:00 p.m. tip off. LSU posted a 4-1 mark over its five games away from the PMAC, sweeping Drake and DePaul in the Emerald Coast Classic before edging Boston College in Overtime in the ACC-SEC Challenge.
The Tigers were dealt their first loss in Fort Worth by Texas Tech but rebounded by trouncing SMU in New Orleans on Saturday.
The Southeastern tilt begins a three-game, 10-day stretch to close non-conference. LSU will be heavy favorites against the Lions, Prairie View A&M and Southern Miss.
DOMINANT DEFENSE
LSU should throw the clamps on this Lion team. Southeastern ranks No. 328 nationally in points per game and No. 354 in three-point percentage. There are only 365 teams in Division 1.
These Tigers may not be a dominant force defensively in SEC play, but that doesn’t apply on Friday night. The goal should be to hold this Lion team under 60 points like Ole Miss did in November.
KEEP AWAY
What Southeastern can do is turn you over. The Lions are No. 29 in the country in steals per play. Dedan Thomas has done a great job of handling the ball. He’ll have to again on Friday. I’m more interested in seeing Jalen Reece log double digit minutes. His development is key so Thomas can catch a breather once in awhile in SEC play. There are three more games to get Reece tuned up.
He played eight minutes per game against LSU five best non-conference opponents, and that’s about right. I’d like to see closer to 15 on Friday night. He doesn’t have to score. Southeastern isn’t going to expose bad defense. Just take care of the ball.
NO, NWOKO
Don’t foul.
That’s going to be important for LSU’s most impactful post presence. He’s got to stay on the floor. Against Texas Tech and SMU, Nwoko committed eight fouls in 34 minutes of play.
That has to stop.
He picked up two immediately in the SMU game, which didn’t hurt LSU. The Tigers played small. But it will hurt badly against some SEC teams. Nwoko hasn’t been a big minute guy. He’s only topped 20 minutes twice. But those minutes need to come at Matt McMahon’s discretion, not because he’s forced to the bench with fouls.
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