After strong defensive efforts in two exhibition wins, the LSU men’s basketball team will open regular season play today when they host the Southern Jaguars at 7 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Jaguars, who are under first-year coach Rob Spivery, enter the matchup with an 0-2 record after losing 89-56 to Texas and 67-64 to Sacramento State in overtime.
“We don’t know much about [Southern] yet,” LSU coach John Brady said after practice Tuesday. “But for now, we’re concerned with what we’re doing. And that’s simply to improve in all areas.”
The Tigers are 6-0 all-time against the Jaguars, and the last time LSU beat Southern was opening night of the 2003-04 season with a 70-59 win.
LSU has not lost in the PMAC to an in-state school since Dec. 6, 1988, when Louisiana Tech won in overtime, 111-109. The Tigers have won 52 consecutive games in the PMAC against in-state schools since then.
In the Tigers’ two exhibition wins over EA Sports and LSU-Shreveport, they held both teams under 60 points. EA Sports shot 37 percent from the floor, and LSU-Shreveport shot only 29 percent.
Sophomore Glen Davis, last season’s Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year, said the Tigers’ two victories have helped the team’s confidence.
“The games have helped us get our confidence up,” Davis said. “They were simply warm-up games. We’ve looked at the tapes and found out what we need to work on.”
Brady started senior Darrel Mitchell at point guard and freshman Garrett Temple at shooting guard with forwards freshman Tasmin Mitchell, junior Darnell Lazare and Davis. Mitchell started as point guard because junior Tack Minor is suspended until the end of the fall semester.
Davis led LSU in the two exhibition games with 18 points and 7.5 rebounds. Mitchell averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game.
The Tigers shot more than 50 percent in both games and scored more than 70 points in both, including 122 points against LSU-Shreveport.
“We need to learn every play in detail,” Davis said. “That’s what wins ball games. And as the younger guys catch on, we’ll keep adding in more plays.”