KONA, Hawai’i — LSU head coach John Brady put his LSU Tiger basketball team through its final big workout prior to Friday’s Big Island Invitational Wednesday morning (Hawai’i time) at a local high school gymnasium.
The Tigers worked out for about 2? hours at the home of the Wave Riders, Kealakehe High School, finishing with a spirited 15-minute scrimmage with both teams battling hard in the lightly-air conditioned gymnasium.
The team spent the rest of Friday afternoon with the chance to go downtown to the beach shopping villages or snorkeling at the hotel before gathering for a team meal.
The team will depart at 10 a.m. HST Thanksgiving morning for the 2-hour drive across the Big Island to the city of Hilo where the tournament will be held. The Tigers will have a 3:30 p.m. 75-minute practice window prior to the 5 p.m. HST coaches press conference.
The Tigers open the tournament Friday against 1-1 Weber State at 6:30 p.m. CST in the second game of the day at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Weber State, in some polls, the preseason favorites in the Big Sky Conference, lost its opener Nov. 16 at Illinois State, 74-70, before coming back on Monday to down Concordia, 103-77. Guard Jermaine Boyette is averaging 23.5 points per game for Weber State, including 31 in the losing effort to Illinois State.
LSU is 2-0 with wins over Campbell and Southern going into the three-day tournament. LSU will play either Wisconsin or Hawaii Hilo in the second round on Saturday. Friday’s game will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Network (107.3 FM in Baton Rouge) and on the Internet at www.LSUsports.net.