The first game jitters are finally out of the way.
In reality, those jitters may have been gone by the 2:15 mark in the first half of No. 21 LSU’s 81-70 season-opening win against McNeese State University on Friday.
That’s when the Tigers (1-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) started a 27-0 run that extended into the second half, taking 8:24 of game time and stretching their lead to 34 points. All three of LSU’s highly-touted freshmen starters were involved in the action, combining for 20 points in the run and finishing the game in double figures.
“Last week [in the exhibition], we didn’t really play like that in the second half, and we relaxed,” said freshman forward Ben Simmons, who finished with a double-double. “We started better in the second half compared to last week.”
But LSU coach Johnny Jones’ team is still a work in progress. So the focus in early contests against weaker competition, including tonight’s matchup against Kennesaw State University at 8 p.m. in the PMAC, is molding his talent into a cohesive unit.
“We have some really positive things we can show them [on film] for us to get to the point we need to,” Jones said. “Obviously, it’s not going to be perfect, be we have to make sure that we are showing signs of improvement, regardless of the opponent.”
Tonight’s game against the Owls (0-1, 0-0 Atlantic Sun
Conference) marks the beginning of the regional round of the Legends Classic, LSU’s first appearance in the event. Technically, the result of tonight’s game does not affect the Tigers’ status in the tournament as they will still travel to Brooklyn, New York, for the semifinals in the Barclays Center.
But games against Kennesaw State and Thursday night’s home game against the University of South Alabama give Jones and the Tigers time to solidify a rotation, which is still not at full strength, before facing Marquette University on Nov. 23.
LSU, though, does strengthen its guard depth with the return of senior guard Josh Gray. Gray was suspended for the opener due to participation in an unsanctioned game over the summer, according to NCAA rules, also preventing him from traveling with the team to Australia in August.
With senior guard Keith Hornsby possibly out until roughly Christmas, Gray fills a need coming off the bench, especially since the Tigers struggled with foul trouble throughout the win against the Cowboys. Five players, including Simmons, had at least four fouls.
“We had a couple of guys sitting there on the bench,” Jones said. “Josh Gray normally would have [had] an opportunity to play and rest someone, and we had some other guys play extended minutes tonight. So we got to be able to use the depth of our bench, and, unfortunately, it wasn’t there for us tonight.”
The Owls head into tonight’s game after falling in their season opener to future LSU opponent, the University of Alabama. The Crimson Tide, led by new head coach Avery Johnson, struggled to fend off the pesky Atlantic Sun team as Kennesaw State senior point guard Yonel Brown poured in 34 points and 10 rebounds with an 11-of-21 clip from the field.
But the Tigers appear to be focused on themselves heading into Monday night’s contest, looking to get out in transition and avoid unnecessary fouls.
“I think in transition is where we execute the most because we like to run,” said freshman guard Brandon Sampson. “It opens up the floor more. I think at the end, where [McNeese State] started to come back, just the momentum between the fouls took away our momentum. I think that was the difference in transition and them getting back in it.”