NEW ORLEANS — The adage is that players would rather quickly play again after a loss and forget about the previous game.
LSU Coach John Brady hopes that his Tigers remember the good things they did in the first half of the 73-65 loss to Washington as they take on the Tulane Green Wave here Wednesday night in the New Orleans Arena. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
The teams are meeting in the Arena for the second straight year where LSU has a 6-1 record including two wins against the Green Wave and four wins as the host team of the then-Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic. The Tigers are 53-48 against Tulane in the Crescent City and LSU has won 23 straight regular season games since Tulane’s last win in New Orleans in 1971. The Wave’s only win during that time came in Baton Rouge in the first round of the 1982 National Invitation Tournament.
The game will be televised by CSTV (COX Digital Cable Channel 315 in New Orleans, not available in Baton Rouge) with the radio broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network and in the “GeauxZone” at LSUsports.net. Tickets are available at the arena box office.
LSU shot over 50 percent and built a big lead in the first half against Washington as the Tigers played perhaps one of their best first halves of the year. The 7-5 Tigers need to find the ability to put things together over a 40-minute period as they play the final two games this week on the road before beginning Southeastern Conference play on Jan. 9 at home against Mississippi State.
However, the Tulane team that they are facing may be one of the best Green Wave teams in years as the 9-4 record is the best the team has posted at this point in eight years.
“Tulane has a lot of experience. They have four starters back,” said Brady. “Those guys have been together for two or three years. The biggest thing they have is experience. That is something we (LSU) don’t have a lot of right now. Those players have grown together and experienced some tough times. They had some success at the end of last year. They have won a couple of impressive games this year. They are an improved team. It is going to be a challenge for us ? no question about it. We sort of handled them pretty easily when we started playing against them five or six years ago, but this year they know they have an opportunity against us because of the position we are in.”
The Tigers and Wave are playing for the sixth consecutive season since Coach Brady agreed to resume a series that had set dormant for 20 years since that 1982 NIT win by Tulane.
LSU is expected to go with its normal lineup of guards Marcus Thornton (18.8 ppg), Terry Martin (10.2 ppg) and Garrett Temple (5.9 ppg, 3.7 apg) with Anthony Randolph at forward (13.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.7 bpg) and center Chris Johnson (12.2 ppg). Thornton, Martin, Randolph and Johnson have been the Tigers scoring chances, combining for an average of 54.8 of LSU’s 72.8 points per game average. Thornton has been in double figures for eight straight games, while Martin has moved his average back over double figures with six straight games in double digits.
Again, for LSU, it will be rebounding and defending around the goal as LSU has been outrebounded in the last five games by a total of 52 boards and opponents have totaled 60 more offensive rebounds than LSU.
“Tulane plays hard and are taught well. Along with the experience they have, they understand the importance of guarding, getting back to help and blocking out, which are things we are still trying to grasp as a unit,” said Brady.
The Tigers complete the non-conference schedule Saturday night at 7 p.m. in College Station, Texas, against Texas A&M in a 7 p.m. game televised by ESPNU.