LSU men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson is not a happy man.Don’t get him wrong. He enjoys his job. He’s just never satisfied.”What do you want me to do, jump up and down like we won the Rose Bowl or something?” Johnson joked after his team’s 91-60 win Sunday against Northwestern State. “If you guys are waiting on me to jump up and down, it’s not happening. It’s just who I am.”Johnson continues his stoic ways this weekend as LSU plays Centenary on Friday and Troy on Sunday in the LSU Invitational in the PMAC.The first-year coach has brought an intense defensive focus to the Tigers that is paying off quickly.LSU has allowed 56.7 points per game through three games, third-best in the Southeastern Conference.The Tigers are also second in the conference in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to convert 30.2 percent of shots.”Guys are just playing their role and doing what they need to do and trusting their teammates,” said senior guard Garrett Temple. “Anybody can contribute in this system.”Freshman forward Storm Warren was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday after picking up his first career double-double against Alcorn State on Thursday.Warren averaged 7.5 points and nine rebounds in the first two games of the LSU Invitational.”I was surprised to receive that information,” Warren said. “When I first got here, my first question to [the seniors] was ‘What’s the difference between college and high school?’ It’s a real big difference.”Warren has had six of LSU’s 26 blocked shots in the past two games, which included a school record-tying 16 blocks against Alcorn State.But Johnson still had criticisms about the block party.”We’re breaking down and letting guys get into the lane on us,” he said. “We’ve got to do a better job of defending at the point of attack, keeping people out of the lane and getting people to where we’re defending them late in the shot clock.”One thing Johnson wasn’t upset about is senior guard Marcus Thornton’s poor shooting performances in LSU’s first two games.Senior guard Marcus Thornton paced the LSU offense against Northwestern State, lighting the Demons up for 25 points in 22 minutes.Thornton only had 13 points in the first two games on 4-of-16 shooting from the field.”Marcus Thornton is going to score the basketball,” Johnson said. “He’s going to get opportunities.”NO PLACE LIKE HOMEThe LSU Invitational maintains a stretch of eight straight home games to open the season for the Tigers.They do not play a road game until Dec. 20, when the Tigers play Texas A&M in Houston.”The schedule was set up for a young team that, each game we play, the opponent is going to get better,” Johnson said. “They’re going to respect us a little more.”GIVING THANKSLSU will practice Wednesday at 9 a.m. to allow players to travel home for Thanksgiving.But the team has an offer from Temple to stay in town.”My mom invited the whole team to come to her house,” he said.—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]