HONOLULU, Hawaii — Coming off two impressive defensive efforts at home, the LSU Fighting Tigers hope that will translate to continued strong play a long way from home when they begin play Friday at 4 p.m. CST in the second Hawaii Pacific Thanksgiving Classic.
LSU will meet Oakland University of Michigan in the opening game of the three-day, eight-team event being held at the downtown Blaisdell Center Arena. Friday’s game will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Network in the Baton Rouge area only on 107.3 FM. Both Saturday and Sunday’s games will be full network broadcasts available across the state (Eagle 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge).
All three games will be available on the internet at www.LSUsports.net.
LSU is coming off wins over Grambling, 112-37, on Nov. 20, and a 75-36 triumph over Southeastern Louisiana on Monday night. Oakland, 12-15 a year ago and in its second season as a Division I program, is coming off an 82-62 loss to Michigan on Nov. 19 and a Nov. 21 72-67 loss to Illinois Sate.
LSU, after setting an arena mark for record margin in the opening game, held an opponent below 40 points for the second straight game, something that hasn’t happened in 54 seasons. It appears to be one of the strong points early of this LSU team.
“What your team needs to do,” LSU Coach John Brady said after the game on Monday, “is defend without fouling and rebound the basketball. That’s what our team did.”
Besides the good defense, the Tigers have outrebounded the opponents in the two games, 101-62.
In the other half of LSU’s bracket is Hawaii Pacific and Wyoming who will meet in the 10:30 p.m. CST matchup to conclude the first day. LSU will play either the winner or the loser of that game in Saturday’s second round at either 8:30 or 10:30 p.m.
The other opening day pairings will find Toledo meeting Southwest Missouri State at 6 p.m. CST and Fresno State facing Florida International at 8:30 p.m. CST.
This is LSU’s ninth appearance in Hawaii since 1969 and the Tigers have a 17-8 overall record in games in the state. In the 1990s, however, LSU is only 2-6. LSU lost both its contests the last time it was in Honolulu, losing to Saint Louis and Dayton in the Hawaii Tipoff Classic in 1994.
LSU has gone with two different starting lineups in its two games, but Torris Bright is expected to get the start at point guard (4.5 ppg), with Jabari Smith at center (13.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Stromile Swift at forward (16.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg). The other two starters will come from Jermaine Williams (10.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Lamont Roland (14.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg); and, Brian Beshara (10.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg).