DENTON, Texas – The LSU Tigers have to forget the recent past and try to take care of the present task at hand if they want to extend their win streak Thursday night here against North Texas.
LSU and North Texas meet at 7 p.m. in the Super Pit. The only television is on independent station TXA-21 in the Metroplex Area. The radio broadcast will be on the LSU Sports Radio Network (New Country 100.7 FM in Baton Rouge) and in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net/live.
The Tigers, 8-3, are coming off a big-time win in the Maravich Center, knocking off No. 10 Marquette, 67-59, the first win over a ranked team at home since 2007. The game also marked the first time since a late December 2006-early January 2007 period that LSU has held teams under 60 points in five straight games.
LSU fell behind against Marquette, 13-0, before putting together runs of eight and seven points that would eventually get LSU a 24-23 lead. That was the first what would be eight ties and 13 lead changes as LSU and Marquette went toe-to-toe for the remainder of the game before a loud and intense crowd at the Maravich Center.
But the enjoyment of that victory has to be over for LSU as they stepped on the court at the Super Pit late Wednesday afternoon for practice to prepare for the Mean Green.
North Texas is 6-5 with four straight wins, including wins over Jackson State on Sunday and an 82-40 triumph over Grambling State on Tuesday. The Mean Green is coached by former LSU player and LSU assistant coach Johnny Jones and it was Jones’ senior-laden club that defeated LSU, 72-52, last December in the Maravich Center in the first half of this home-and-home series.
Tony Mitchell, a member of the U.S. Under 19 World Championship team, has played two games at North Texas after transferring from Missouri. The Dallas native averaged 12 points and nine rebounds in his two outings. Freshman Chris Jones leads North Texas in scoring at 15 points a game and 3.6 assists a contest.
With Andre Stringer continuing to undergo tests in Baton Rouge after his fainting episode in practice prior to the Boise game (12/10), Eddie Ludwig is expected to start his third game at forward (2.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg), next to freshman Johnny O’Bryant III (7.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg). Justin Hamilton will start at center (11.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.4 bpg) with Anthony Hickey (10.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.3 apg) and Ralston Turner (10.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.4 apg) at guards.
Turner had the second highest scoring game of the sophomore’s LSU career against Marquette with 22 points.
After this game, the team will head back to their respective homes for a few days of Christmas break reconvening to prepare for the final two home games of the non-conference schedule – Grambling on Dec. 29 and Virginia on Jan. 2. Both games will tip off early at 6 p.m.
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Here are some of the quotes from Coach Johnson’s media session on Tuesday:
Opening statement …
“The sooner we can move forward and watch some video on North Texas and get out and walk through and get our preparation and mental frame of mind toward North Texas, the better off. Like I said (Monday night) after the game, let’s enjoy it. I’m talking about the players. Obviously the coaches and me as the head coach have been here before and done this done that. It’s been a long time for this group, and it’s been a long time for this basketball team to have a win of that caliber. The bottom line is, we have a team that reminds me a lot of Houston in North Texas. They have a special player that just became eligible named Tony Mitchell. He played with the US Olympic Team 19 and under. He’s explosive as all get out. As coaches, we look at what’s going on in college basketball. We look at the guys that sat out or the guys who transferred who can have an impact at an elite level. There are two guys to watch out for on our schedule. One of them is Tony Mitchell and the other one is Arnett Moultrie from Mississippi State. Hopefully we’ve shown some maturity. We’re a little banged up, which we should be. Justin Hamilton tweaked his ankle a little bit, so we’re going to hold him out (Tuesday), probably hold him out (Wednesday). Obviously, you know what’s going on with Andre (Stringer), but we have more guys that have got to step up and play.”
About Storm and Malcolm and what do you like about them playing together …
“It just depends on the matchups. It depends on the game. We wanted to start the game last night, we felt we had a size advantage and could pound the post. Obviously when you start talking about Jae Crowder, who’s explosive and quick, Storm (Warren) and Malcolm (White) both have a level of quickness to them, are relentless and have been around. So, I thought the three of them (Storm, Malcolm, Justin Hamilton), along with John Isaac, played well. When you can get two seniors who’ve been through their share of wars, are quick to the ball and rebound the ball and have a physical approach, it helps. That’s what I like most about them, their energy and their physical approach, their ability and willingness to play around the basket.”
On the upcoming game against North Texas after the Marquette game …
“Hopefully we’ve learned some lessons, but this group has never been in that situation where they’ve beaten someone that’s ranked. That’s why, for me, it’s always about the next day and the next game and things of that nature. I don’t know if the word is excited. I know I’m going to do everything in my power and in my staff’s power to let these guys understand what we’re up against. They should understand that when we say this team is very comparable to Houston that should say, okay, you need to be ready and bring the same mental approach that we talk about all the time. But that’s easier said than done.”
When you recruited Ralston, what did you like about him in terms of off the floor…
“He’s a great kid. We have great kids on this team. We have kids that want to represent this institution, that want to represent themselves and this family in the right way, whatever that may be … Ralston comes from great family, his mom and dad are great people, solid people. He wants to be good, he wants to continue to get better. He wants to win.”