The Tigers look to go 2-0 Thursday night when they face Samford at 7 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
LSU coach Will Wade said Samford will provide another big test for the Tigers defensively with the team practicing multiple schemes they could potentially use.
LSU played mostly in man and a 1-3-1 defense against Alcorn State with some pressing involved throughout.
“I haven’t ever played this many defenses,” Wade said. “That’s what we’re going to have to do this year to be successsful.”
Wade said despite the 40 point win on Friday, the Tigers have a lot of issues that still need correcting to be a more complete team. Contesting perimeter shots is a main area of concern against Samford.
“[Alcorn State] shot 4-of-24 from three, but about 16 of them weren’t very contested. There were only about eight contested threes,” Wade said. “Are we just going to sit there and hope teams miss from three every night? We give Samford 16 open threes, they’re going to bury about 10-11 of them.”
After a stellar opening day performance from guard Tremont Waters, the freshman said the team has added more defensive schemes to prepare for a Samford team that can shoot lights out.
Waters scored 27 points in the opener against Alcorn State and said he thought the Tulane scrimmage earlier this month helped him adjust to college ball a little better for the start of the season.
“Every game I go out and try to make plays for my teammates,” Waters said. “Everything I was shooting was pretty much falling so all my teammates kept saying to shoot the ball.”
Waters has grown up watching NBA stars like Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry and likes to take different pieces of their games and apply it to his own.
“I always heard people say I play like Chris Paul,” Waters said. “Kyrie Irving’s handles are ridiculous and Steph Curry can obviously shoot the ball. Kyrie is someone I want to model my game after.”  
Freshman forward Brandon Rachal has adjusted to playing both the three and the four since the absence of senior Aaron Epps. Wade has praised Rachal on the defensive intensity he brings to the team which only helps Rachal’s confidence.
“The more spots you know the more playing time you’ll get,” Rachal said.  “I want to know as many spots on the floor as I can. My dad use to tell me that defense wins championships and that’s what I take pride in.”
LSU will be getting Epps back for his first playing time of the season after nursing a foot injury for the past few weeks.
“We hope to have him in some limited time tomorrow,” Wade said. “He did about three quarters of practice yesterday.”