BATON ROUGE – The LSU men’s basketball season, ranked 19th and 21st in the two major pre-season polls, opens one of the most anticipated seasons in many years as the Tigers host McNeese State University in an 8 p.m. tipoff at the Maravich Assembly Center.
Tickets for the game as well as mini-plans and season tickets are available at LSUtix.net and tickets starting at $5 will be available beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the box office windows on the upper concourse of the Maravich Center.
The 2015-16 schedule poster produced by the LSU Athletic Department will be given away at the game.
LSU students are admitted free of charge with valid student ID.
The game will be broadcast on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network. Affiliates include flagship Eagle 98.1 FM and KSYL-AM (970, Alexandria); WBOX-FM (92.9, Bogalusa); KFNV-FM (107.1, Ferriday); KJIN-AM (1490, Houma); KJNA-FM (102.7, Jena); KLWB-FM (103.7, Lafayette/Opelousas); KXZZ-AM (1580, Lake Charles); KJAE-FM (93.5, Leesville); KMLB-AM (540, Monroe); KFRA-AM (1390, Morgan City); WWL-AM (870, New Orleans); KRUS-AM (1490, Ruston); KWKH-AM (1130, Shreveport); KTJZ-FM (97.5, Tallulah); WFCG-FM (107.3, Tylertown, Mississippi); and, KVPI-AM (1050, Ville Platte).
The television broadcast will be on ESPNU with Doug Sherman, Kara Lawson and Jeff Goodman on the call.
The Tigers come in off a 98-72 exhibition game win over Southwest Baptist last Friday night, using a quick and aggressive start en route to a 51-27 lead at the intermission. Five Tigers were in double figures with Brandon Sampson getting 19 points, Ben Simmons 17 (9 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 blocks, 4 steals), Antonio Blakeney 16, Jalyn Patterson 14 and Josh Gray 13 points.
The Tigers lone shortcoming on a night when the team blocked 15 shots and had 16 steals was in rebounding as SW Baptist out rebounded LSU, 44-33.
“We have to get better. We were a bigger, stronger and more athletic team,” said LSU Coach Johnny Jones. “They out-rebounded us, and that’s not something that we can allow to happen. We have to do a much better job. For us to be a really good basketball team, we are going to have to rebound the ball well, and we are going to have to defend well. If we can do those two things, we will certainly have a great deal of success. That’s something our main focus has been on this week.”
LSU will be without Keith Hornsby who is recovering from a minor medical procedure of a couple of weeks ago and Josh Gray, who will miss the game because of a one-game penalty for appearing at a non-sanctioned event during the summer.
In the exhibition game, the Tigers started Tim Quarterman, Blakeney and Jalyn Patterson at guards with Simmons at forward and Elbert Robinson III at the center. Sampson could be a candidate to fit into the starting lineup if the coaching staff decides to go that way, but he will certainly see his share of time in the top six with Gray out. Patterson, also with Gray out, will probably play more at the backup point guard position.
McNeese was 15-16 a year ago and Dave Simmons, a longtime friend and teammate in high school of Coach Jones, is in his 10th season at McNeese. The Cowboys have several new faces, but one important returnee, senior Craig McFerrin. McFerrin was a started for the Cowboys in 2013-14, but missed last year with a shoulder injury. He averaged 9.2 points and 6.5 rebounds that year and is a preseason All-Southland Conference selection.
The Tigers open with three games in seven days at home before going to Brooklyn for the Legends Classic Championship Round, Nov. 23-24.
Follow updates on LSU Basketball throughout the game at www.Facebook.com/LSUBasketball and on Twitter @LSUBasketball.