CoastTrashTiger has done the last couple of games, and I know he said he was going to do one today, but he also had lots of stuff to do with school. I'm going to write up a review, and I hope he or anyone can jump in with any type of stats they'd like to throw out there.

LSU comes off a decently impressive win by 9 against a scrappy team in Memphis. Louisiana Tech comes off a win against Harding, a Division II school.

LSU STARTING LINEUP:
F Naz Reid- 19ppg, 6rpg, 61% FG
F Emmitt Williams- 10ppg, 8.3rpg, 65% FG
G Ja'vonte Smart- 12ppg, 4.3 rpg, 60% FG
G Skylar Mays- 13ppg, 3.3rpg, 2apg, 1.7spg
G Tremont Waters- 12.7ppg, 6.7 apg, 4.7spg

BENCH:
Kavell Bigby-Williams- 7.7ppg, 3.7rpg
Darius Days- 9ppg, 4.3rpg
Marlon Taylor- 6.7ppg
Daryl Edwars- 1.3ppg

Obviously for LSU, it all starts with Tremont Waters. His scoring is a little down this season, but his playmaking is still top notch. Also, he has proven time and time again, when he wants to score or get to the basket...there are few, if any, who can stop him. His nearly 5 steals per game are top 5 in the NCAA. Skylar Mays continues to get better and better, and his highlight dunk vs Memphis was all over Sportscaster. Ja'vonte Smart has not had as many wow moments, but he is another capable ball handler who gets into the lane and is able to create his own shot. Off the bench, Marlon Taylor has electric athleticism while Daryl Edwards has yet to find his stroke this season, but Coach Will Wade has stated that Edwards is the best spot up shooter on the team.

The front court is led by Freshman sensation Naz Reid. Naz can do it all, and his outside ability really stretches the floor for LSU. When Naz steps outside, it lets fellow Freshman Emmitt Williams really attack the offensive boards, which is why he is top 20 in the country with nearly 5 per game. Kavell Bigby-Williams and Darius Days both provide very solid depth off the bench, but in different capacities. KBW will stay around the rim and use his size to create difficult shots while also getting easy buckets. Days can step out for 3's but also has a nonstop energy about his play.

About Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech's Starting Lineup:
F Oliver Powell- 6'8 240 JR 8.3ppg, 5.3rpg
F Anthony Duruji- 6'7 215 Soph 10.3ppg, 4.3rpg
G Amorie Archibald- 6'3 185 Soph 12.7ppg, 6.3rpg
G Exavian Christon- 6'4 200 Soph 10ppg, 3.7rpg
G Derric Jean- 5ppg, 3.7rpg, 4.3apg

BENCH:
F Mubarak Muhammed- 6'7 220 JR 11ppg, 7.3rpg
G Jacolby Pemberton- 6'5 190 Soph 8.3ppg, 5.3rpg

Big key of the game will be whether preseason all-conference player DaQuan Bracey will player. He sprained his ankle in the first game, and has missed their previous 2 games. Bracey is their floor general and spark plug. He is only 5'11 175, but plays much bigger. He scored 16 against Wichita, and has had around 5 assists per game his past two seasons.

Entering the season, Louisiana Tech was picked to finish 6th in Conference USA. However, CUSA is a very solid basketball league. Louisiana Tech has wins on the road at Wichita State by 13, Sam Houston State by 7, and Division II Harding by 31. They are a tough defensive, half court team. Their stats, particularly their scoring and rebounds, are very skewed because of their division II opponent. Preseason, they were picked 6th by the writers in Conference USA. I'll get into team rankings soon.

Louisiana Tech go at least 9 deep, and if Bracey comes back, they're capable of going 10 deep. Of the main 9, all average over 18 minutes per game. Their rebounds are very spread evenly through their team, 6 players average 4 or more rebounds, and 2 others average 3.7 rebounds. However, one bit of very good news is they only shoot 27.7% from 3. On the season, they are 18 of 65 as a team. They have several players that will shoot, but no one that you would consider an elite or even good perimeter shooter. Their best shooter is Archibald at the moment, he is 4 for 12 from downtown.

TEAM RANKINGS:
LSU
Offense:
PPG- 92ppg (21st nationally)
FG%- 52.5% (29th nationally)
3FG%- 33.3 % (174th nationally)
APG- 15apg (115th nationally)
TOs- 13.3topg (162nd nationally)
ORG- 13.3orpg (29th nationally)
Offensive Efficiency- 1.235 (16th nationally)

Defense:
PPG- 76.7ppg (215th nationally)
RPG- 38.3rpg (127th nationally)
SPG- 10.7spg (13th nationally)
FG%- 46.1% (225th nationally)
3FG%- 41.9% (300th nationally)
Defensive Efficiency- 1.029 (205th nationally)

***The following stats will be NOT including their Division II opponent***

Louisiana Tech
Offense:
PPG- 73.5 (169th nationally)
FG%- 43.9% (165th nationally)
3FG%- 27.9% (270th nationally)
APG- 11.5 (234th nationally)
TOs- 17.5topg (301st nationally)
ORG- 12orpg (54th nationally)
Offensive Efficiency- 1.012 (151st nationally)

Defense:
PPG- 63.5ppg (62nd nationally)
RPG- 40.5rpg (77th nationally)
SPG- 6.5spg (159th nationally)
FG%- 37.6% (56th nationally)
3FG%- 33.3% (179th nationally)
Defensive Efficiency- 0.875 (68th nationally)

What Do The Stats Say?

Basically...Louisiana Tech is a solid team. They make you grind on defense, they don't create a ton of turnovers, and don't block many shots. They just hustle, they grind, they make you earn it. On offense, they're a methodical team, not great shooting, but crash the boards well and get some easy second chance points.

Prediction:

LSU is much more athletic and skilled. Louisiana Tech is not an experienced team, but not an inexperienced team. Most their players are Juniors or Sophomores. They know who they are and what they want to do. I do believe Wichita State is a very average basketball team, so their victory over them on paper looks great, but ultimately won't end that way. If Bracey does not play for La Tech, this could be ugly, but with Bracey it could be interesting for a bit. I do believe La Tech will come out with energy and possibly give LSU some problems early until the Tigers settle in and pull away. I am not sure what the line is, but I think the Tigers can win easily by double digits once the athleticism and talent kicks in.

LSU- 85
La Tech- 70

CTT did make a thread, but I didn't see it yesterday. Here is a link to his thread to get even more buzz about our team

CTT's Preview Thread

This post was edited on 11/16/18 at 11:03 am