No. 9 seed LSU Tigers vs. No 8 seed NC State Wolfpack
When/Where: 8:20 p.m. at Consol Energy Center | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Television: TBS
Radio: WDGL-FM 98.1 (Baton Rouge)
Last Meeting: This is the first-ever meeting between LSU and NC State.
LSU’s last game: After earning the No. 4 seed for the Southeastern Conference Tournament, the Tigers were bounced in the quarterfinals by Auburn, 73-70, in overtime March 13. It was LSU’s fifth loss to a team ranked worse than No. 100 in the RPI this season.
NC State’s last game: The Wolfpack suffered a 77-53 beatdown at the hands of No 4 Duke in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on March 12. It was NC State’s most lopsided loss of the season.
NC State (20-13)
Possible Starters and Top Reserves
Junior [G] Trevor Lacey (6’3’’): 15.8 ppg, 35.6 mpg, 4.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 39.8% 3-point FG (72-181).
Senior [G] Ralston Turner (6’5’’): 13.2 ppg, 31.5 mpg, 3.3 rpg, 37.6% 3-point FG (88-234).
Sophomore [G] Anthony “Cat” Barber (6’2’’): 12.1 ppg, 31.4 mpg, 3.3 rpg, 45% FG (130-289).
Sophomore [F] Lennard Freeman (6’8’’): 3.4 ppg, 19.3 mpg, 5.6 rpg, 43% FG (43-100).
Freshman [F] Abdul-Malik Abu (6’8’’): 6.0 ppg, 18.1 mpg, 4.5 rpg, 47.8% FG (77-161).
Sophomore [F] BeeJay Anya (6’9’’): 4.7 ppg, 19.4 mpg, 2.6 bpg, 60.6% FG (60-99).
Sophomore [F] Kyle Washington (6’9’’): 6.7 ppg, 18.7 mpg, 4.3 rpg, 44.7% FG (89-199).
Freshman [F] Caleb Martin (6’6’’): 5.0 ppg, 17.5 mpg, 3.0 rpg, 35.4% FG (51-144).
LSU (22-10)
Possible Starters and Top Reserves
Sophomore [G] Tim Quarterman (6’6’’): 11.3 ppg, 33.4 mpg, 5.1 rpg, 3.9 apg, 42.2% FG (119-282).
Freshman [G] Jalyn Patterson (6’0’’): 6.7 ppg, 24.3 mpg, 1.2 spg, 37.5% 3-point FG (42-112).
Junior [G] Keith Hornsby (6’4’’): 13.6 ppg, 35.5 mpg, 4.2 rpg, 39.1% 3-point FG (70-179).
Sophomore [F] Jarell Martin (6’10’’): 16.9 ppg, 35.0 mpg, 9.2 rpg, 51% FG (196-385).
Sophomore [F] Jordan Mickey (6’8’’): 15.5 ppg, 34.8 mpg, 9.8 rpg, 3.5 bpg, 51.1% FG (187-366).
Junior [G] Josh Gray (6’1’’): 7.2 ppg, 25.2 mpg, 3.9 apg, 40% FG (84-210).
Sophomore [C] Darcy Malone (7’0’’): 0.9 ppg, 8.9 mpg, 1.5 rpg, 38.1% FG (8-21).
Sophomore [F] Brian Bridgewater (6’5’’): 2.2 ppg, 6.6 mpg, 53.8% FG (28-52).
Three Things to Watch for
Inside versus outside
Both LSU and NC State play three guards and two forwards in their starting lineups, but that’s where the similarities end.
The Tigers are at their best when sophomore forwards Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey are dominating the paint. Martin and Mickey were the SEC’s only duo to rank in the top six in scoring, sitting at third and sixth, respectively.
LSU is 13-2 this season when its First-Team All-SEC tandem combines for at least 30 points. But the Tigers’ record plummets to 9-8 when Martin and Mickey fail to reach that mark.
The Wolfpack, however, rely heavily on its guard trio: sophomore Anthony “Cat” Barber, junior Trevor Lacey and senior guard Ralston Turner.
Barber, Lacey and Turner are NC State’s top three scorers this season, and each averages better than 12 points per game. Lacey, a Second Team All-ACC selection, leads the Wolfpack in scoring at 15.8 points per game, which ranks sixth in the conference.
But Lacey and Turner are NC State’s 3-point specialists. The duo combined for 160 treys this season, which was the most for two teammates in the ACC. The Wolfpack went 9-3 in games it made at least seven 3-pointers but 11-10 when it didn’t.
Fresh bodies
Not only do LSU and NC State have contrasting playing styles, the way their coaches utilize the depth charts are also different.
The Tigers have six players who have been on the court for more than 700 minutes, making up for 89.3 percent of the possible 6,550 minutes this season. None of LSU’s remaining nine player finished with more than 215.
Four players have logged more than 1,000 minutes this season, which tops the SEC. Martin and Mickey along with guards Keith Hornsby and Tim Quarterman have each played 35 minutes in at least 14 games. Hornsby and Martin are tied for a team-high 21 games with at least 35 minutes.
The Wolfpack’s guard trio of Barber, Lacey and Turner have played more than 1,000 minutes individually, but NC State spreads out the minutes from there.
Five other players have logged more than 550 minutes this season for NC State and nearly match the total of Barber, Lacey and Turner (3,185 to 3,010).
Rebounding after a loss
Both LSU and NC State enter the NCAA Tournament on the heels of a loss, but each squad has shown it can bounce back from defeat.
LSU is 8-1 after a loss this season, and its longest losing skid was two games. The Tigers shot at least 50 percent from the field following a loss and outscored their opponents by an average of nine points per game (77-68).
But the Wolfpack has also returned to form after setbacks, going 9-3 following a loss with four double-digit wins this season. But unlike LSU, NC State endured a stretch of five losses in six games earlier this season.
However, the Wolfpack has won six of eight since its longest losing stretch of the season, with victories against No. 15 North Carolina and No. 17 Louisville during that span.
You can reach David Gray on Twitter @dgray_TDR.