NEW ORLEANS — The LSU men’s basketball team travels to New Orleans to take on the Privateers in Lakefront Arena for the first time since Nov. 26, 1983, at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
LSU head coach John Brady keeps repeating the same statement over and over.
“You just never know what can happen on someone else’s floor.”
That’s what keeps Brady and his Tigers concerned as they prepare for Tuesday night’s game at 8 p.m. at New Orleans’ Lakefront Arena against the University of New Orleans.
Even more concerning is that the Tigers will have to do it probably without the services of starting guard Collis Temple III, who was averaging 19.0 points per game before suffering a high sprain to his right ankle in the first half of Saturday’s 80-57 win over McNeese State at the Assembly Center. Temple is listed as doubtful for the UNO game and even questionable for Thursday’s regionally televised game back at home against Houston.
It is expected that Antonio Hudson, the freshman from Grambling, who came off the bench to get 13 points in 29 minutes will get the starting spot at the two guard along with point guard Torris Bright. The forwards are expected to be Ronald Dupree, Jermaine Williams and either Brad Bridgewater or Jason Wilson.
Dupree is among the league leaders in scoring and rebounding averaging 18.3 points and 8.7 rebounds a game.
The Tigers are 8-1 on the year and put a 40-game winning streak against Louisiana schools on the line. This will be a rare LSU game against a Louisiana school on the road and the first time the Tigers have met UNO at Lakefront since the 1983-1984 season. LSU is 3-0 in the building having won neutral court games against then- No. 1 Oklahoma in 1988 and No.3 Oklahoma State in 1993.
UNO is 4-6 under first year head coach Monte Towe, the former point guard at North Carolina State in the 1970s. Towe also served as an assistant to Norm Sloan at Florida.
Tickets will be available for the UNO game at the Lakefront Arena Box Office.