LSU Hoops @ Wake Forest - 8pm

LSU at Wake Forest
8pm - Thursday
Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, N.C.
TV: ESPNU
RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1; WWWL-AM, 1350; KLWB-FM, 103.7

Wake Forest (8-3)
Starters
Pos. Name Ht. Cl. Pts. Rebs.
G Bryant Crawford 6-3 So. 13.7 5.8*
G Keyshawn Woods 6-3 So. 12.9 4.2
F Austin Arians 6-6 Sr. 8.5 2.0
F John Collins 6-10 So. 17.5 10.8
F Dinos Mitoglou 6-10 Jr. 9.8 6.5
Key reserves
Pos. Name Ht. Cl. Pts. Rebs.
G Mitchell Wilbekin 6-2 Jr. 6.8 1.2
G Brandon Childress 6-0 Fr. 6.0 2.3
C Doral Moore 7-1 So. 2.6 2.5
* assists

LSU (8-2)
Starters
Pos. Name Ht. Cl. Pts. Rebs.
G Skylar Mays 6-4 Fr. 4.8 4.1*
G Antonio Blakeney 6-4 So. 15.9 4.9
G Brandon Sampson 6-5 So. 12.5 3.3
F Craig Victor 6-9 Jr. 10.0 7.4
F Duop Reath 6-10 Jr. 15.3 6.4
Key reserves
Pos. Name Ht. Cl. Pts. Rebs.
G Jalyn Patterson 6-1 Jr. 4.7 3.1*
F Aaron Epps 6-10 Jr. 6.3 4.4
F Wayde Sims 6-6 Fr. 4.7 4.0
* assists

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The LSU Tigers will try to translate success at home to success on the road when they play their first true road contest here Thursday night against Wake Forest. This will be the final tune-up before the Christmas break and the final contest before Southeastern Conference play opens for the Tigers on Dec. 29 at home against Vanderbilt.

LSU posted three wins in a seven day period all against top 100-RPI teams – North Carolina Central (70-66), Texas Southern (88-80) and Charleston this past Monday (75-65). Wake Forest lost in its last game at No. 17 Xavier, 89-85. The Demon Deacons, like LSU, are preparing for conference play as they open up in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Dec. 28 at Florida State before playing Clemson on New Year’s Eve.

In Wake’s last game, Bryant Crawford had a team-high 20 to go with six assists and John Collins (12 points, 12 rebounds) posted his sixth consecutive double double. In LSU’s win over Charleston, junior Duop Reath tied his season high with 23 points and Craig Victor II had his third straight double figure rebound game and his second consecutive double double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. While LSU has already gone undefeated at home in non-conference play this year, the Demon Deacons are looking to go undefeated at home in non-conference play.

The teams have played twice before in what will be the second part of a back-to-back home-and-home contract. But the teams first met in the old Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans in December 1981 with LSU a 70-64 winner. Last year, Wake Forest was able to defeat LSU at the Maravich Center, 77-71 as Crawford scored 19 points to lead Wake Forest. Victor had 19 points for LSU in the game in which LSU was unable to hold a five-point lead with 8:31 to play in the contest. Wake Forest's Collins comes in averaging 17.5 points and 10.8 rebounds for Wake Forest while Crawford is at 13.7 a game. Keyshawn Woods is the other double double scorer averaging 12.9.

The Advocate
LSUsports.net