One game down, 30 to go.
After the LSU men’s basketball team’s season-opening win against Gardner-Webb, the Tigers look to build on their success against Texas Tech (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) tonight.
The game also will have special significance for junior guard Josh Gray, who began his collegiate basketball career with the Red Raiders in 2012-13.
“[Coach Tubby Smith] said the opportunity was there for me to stay at Texas Tech or to leave, and he told me what he could do for me and what he could do to help me become a better point guard,” Gray said. “I just felt like at the end of the day, it wasn’t the place for me.”
Gray left Texas Tech and transferred to Odessa College, where he averaged more than 30 points per game before transferring to LSU in 2014.
It has been two years since Gray was in Lubbock, Texas, and although the system is the same, the players are not.
“I’m very familiar with the plays they run,” Gray said. “But I don’t know a whole lot about the new guys they have.”
In the game against Gardner-Webb, sophomore forwards Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey led the Tigers in scoring with 21 points each. Junior guard Keith Hornsby and Gray hit 18 and 17 points, respectively.
“We just have to keep playing hard. Me and Mickey, we can play off each other,” Martin said. “We have a good group of teammates who are very unselfish and can get everyone the ball. We like to create opportunities where it will be easy for us to score.”
The Red Raiders will be the first major conference opponent for LSU and could prove to be the Tigers’ first real test of the season.
Last year, LSU squeaked out a 71-69 win against Texas Tech.
Texas Tech won its first game of the season against Loyola Maryland, with freshman center Norense Odiase recording 16 points and 10 rebounds in the 71-59 victory.
Odiase became the first Texas Tech player to start a season opener and to record a double-double in his debut. The Red Raiders had three other players scoring double digits in junior guards Toddrick Gotcher and Devaugntah Williams and freshman guard Keenan Evans. Thirty-eight of the team’s points came from the bench, a strong suit for Texas Tech.
To minimize the impact of Texas Tech’s bench in the game against the Tigers, Martin said LSU must play tough defense and treat every player like a starter.
“There are only five people who can play at a time, so we will just have to play them hard,” Martin said. “We’ve got to get some stops, play really aggressively and come out strong.”
When the Tigers take the court tonight, they’ll look to use their solid defense to shut down Odiase and the Red Raiders and earn a win.
But for Gray, there will be more riding on the game than just a victory.
“Last year, [LSU vs. Texas Tech] was a close game, it was a good game,” Gray said. “I expect another great game tomorrow, they’re going to come at us, and we are going to come at them. I’m excited to play my old team.”
You can reach Michael Haarala on Twitter @haarala_TDR.