Most early-season bounce-back games for major college basketball teams don’t take place at a neutral site against a prime NCAA tournament contender.
For LSU (1-1), however, its matchup against an experienced Northwestern squad today in the first round of the eight-squad Charleston Classic will be a welcomed quick turnaround after the Tigers’ struggles in a 71-63 loss Tuesday at Coastal Carolina.
The Wildcats (1-0) boast a roster with nine upperclassmen and four returning starters, including senior standout forward and second-team preseason All-American John Shurna.
But LSU coach Trent Johnson said Shurna is just one cog in a balanced, deep Northwestern roster keen on efficiently running a Princeton-style motion-and-cut offense.
“They have guys that can pass and catch from all five spots,” Johnson said. “What stands out is how they always test your defensive principles in terms of staying anyway.”
LSU may need those shots to fall sooner rather than later, as Northwestern held its opening opponent, Texas Pan-American, to less than 40 points in a 60-36 debut victory.
Shurna led the way offensively for the Wildcats in the win, scoring 15 points, while senior center Luka Mirkovic and junior guard Drew Crawford combined for 23.
LSU sophomore guard Ralston Turner paced LSU against Coastal with 15 points, and senior center Storm Warren recorded his seventh- straight double-figure scoring game with 14 points to go along with nine rebounds.
The Wildcats are picked to finish in the top half of the Big 10 conference with a wealth of returning contributors from consecutive 20-win National Invitational Tournament squads.
“Without question, they’ll be playing in March,” Johnson said.
It’s the second time LSU has played in an early-season invitational under Johnson. The Tigers lost to Connecticut and Arizona State by at least 19 points in their appearance in the 2009 NIT Season Tip-Off.
Johnson said he has no preference in the scheduling but added that his players are looking forward to seeing a field that includes Georgia Tech, Seton Hall and 2011 Final Four participant Virginia Commonwealth.
“I like playing games period, and it says good things about the program when you’re asked to be a part of an event like this,” Johnson said. “In a situation like this, the players are excited to play a lot of basketball