The LSU men’s basketball team is indeed in an “Empire State of Mind.”If New York is “a concrete jungle that dreams are made of,” and “there’s nothing you can’t do,” then the Tigers (3-0) should have no problem conquering No. 13 Connecticut (3-0) in the hallowed Madison Square Garden tonight.If only it were as easy as Jay-Z and Alicia Keys would have us believe.”They are probably as quick a team as we will face all year in terms of their ability at all five positions to get up and down the floor,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson. “It’s a good challenge for us, and I think the guys are looking forward to it.” Johnson is probably hoping the lights of the Big Apple will inspire the Tigers, who successfully navigated the first two games of the NIT Season Tip-Off despite returning only two starters from last season and losing senior guard Alex Farrer to a knee injury before this season’s start.  “We’ve got some guys stepping up,” said senior forward Tasmin Mitchell. “Everybody’s been stepping up. This is what team basketball is.” The trip itself is a thrill for LSU’s young roster. Only a few players have ever made the trip to New York, let alone played on the floor of such a famous venue.”We’re going to a Mecca of basketball. Playing in the Garden — it’s a college basketball player’s dream come true,” Mitchell said. “There’s not a great basketball player that hasn’t played at MSG.”Johnson acknowledged the excitement around the Tigers’ locker room but said the team shouldn’t have a problem performing under such a bright spotlight.”It’s competition,” he said. “Yeah, you enjoy Broadway for a day … But when the ball goes up, it’s competition.”UConn is off to a similarly fast start under long-time coach Jim Calhoun, though the Huskies have yet to look remotely like the group that reached the Final Four in Detroit last spring. The team’s resumé so far includes wins against William & Mary, Colgate and Hofstra by an average margin of just 10 points per game.”Knowing coach [Calhoun] like I know him, I don’t think he’s very pleased with the way they’ve been playing, so we’re going to get a maximum effort,” Johnson said.A big reason for the Huskies’ struggles could be a frontcourt with some major holes to fill. UConn lost dynamic center Hasheem Thabeet to the NBA Draft in June and graduated forward Jeff Adrien, who took his career average of 12 points and eight boards per game with him.UConn has been outrebounded in two of its three games, which must be encouraging for a surprisingly productive LSU post game. Sophomore forward Storm Warren has achieved a double-double in all three games to start the season and could frustrate the Huskies if he maintains his level of play.”I’m just going to take the information my coaches give me and try to be prepared,” Warren said. “[UConn] knows what it’s like to be there. For us, it’s a new experience, and we have to be ready to step up.”- – – -Contact David Helman at [email protected]