LSU’s unbeaten start gets a serious reality check on Saturday.
The Tigers head to Spokane, Washington, to face No. 14 Gonzaga in what looks like their first true measuring stick of the season. LSU has rolled through its first three games without seeing a ranked opponent, but that changes fast against a Bulldogs team that can score, space the floor and punish mistakes.
Will Wade’s group is 3-0 after beating LSU New Orleans 100-57, Texas Southern 92-51 and Louisiana Tech 90-50. Those numbers show a team that has handled business comfortably, but Gonzaga is a different kind of assignment - and one that matters because the Tigers don’t have many chances like this in nonconference play.
LSU’s only other ranked nonconference opponent is No. 8 Houston on Dec.
- With so few chances against top-level competition, both of those games loom large for the Tigers’ March Madness hopes.
So far, LSU has been efficient at the rim and everywhere else inside the arc. The Tigers are shooting 54.6% from the field and holding opponents to 26.6% shooting. Freshman Michael Ruzic has been the biggest driver of that hot start, hitting 77.8% of his shots.
Gonzaga brings its own firepower. The Bulldogs are making 53% of their field goals and allowing opponents to shoot 45.6%. LSU may not match its usual efficiency against that kind of resistance, but it still has to find ways to score consistently and keep Gonzaga from getting comfortable offensively.
The biggest concern for LSU might be the 3-point line. The Tigers are shooting just 27% from deep, and Wade called that number unsustainable after the win over Texas Southern. Against Gonzaga, that weakness gets tested again.
The Bulldogs are dangerous from outside, too. They’re shooting 47.5% from 3-point range and have at least seven players who can knock down shots from deep. LSU has done a strong job defending the arc so far, limiting opponents to 18.8% shooting from 3, but that pressure will have to hold up against a much tougher perimeter attack.
LSU also has scoring depth working in its favor. Six Tigers are averaging at least 10 points per game: Ruzic, senior Abdi Bashir Jr., fifth-year senior Donovan Dent, senior Mo Dioubate, junior Saliou Niang and fifth-year senior Brice Dessert. That kind of balance will matter against a Gonzaga team that has five players scoring in double figures and is averaging 93.5 points per game.
Whether LSU wins outright or keeps it close, this is the kind of game that can help shape the Tigers’ resume. In a conference where 10 teams reached the March Madness Tournament in the 2025-2026 season, every useful result matters as LSU tries to build toward the postseason.
In Other News...
Texas Hits Unexpected Travel Snag Right Before LSU Showdown
Texas ran into an unexpected hurdle on the way to Baton Rouge this week, with the Longhorns caught in a nationwide ground stop ordered by the FAA on Nov. 13. The disruption stemmed from air traffic control communications problems affecting facilities across the country, and it put a wrinkle into a normal game-week routine for a team preparing to face LSU.
For the Tigers, it is another reminder that a marquee matchup can be shaped by more than what happens between the lines. Several college football teams were affected by the same travel issue heading into weekend games, and it remains unclear how long the delays will last or whether they will have any impact on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Kelly Could Be Headed For Another Power 4 Chance
Brian Kelly is back in the coaching conversation after interviewing for Marylands head coaching job, a reminder that his name still carries weight in Power 4 circles even after his LSU run ended. Since leaving Baton Rouge, Kelly has shifted into an on-air role with CBS Sports, but his rsum and experience keep him in the mix whenever a major program opens up.
At LSU, Kelly never quite delivered the championship push the school expected when it hired him, and he has acknowledged as much in recent comments. He went 34-14 with the Tigers, a solid mark by most standards, but one that fell short of the national-title benchmark LSU had in mind, leaving his next move a notable storyline for a fan base that watched the fit unravel before the results ever matched the ambition. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Biggest Texas Question Still Comes Down To Whit Weeks
Whit Weeks remains the name LSU fans will watch closest as the Tigers get ready for Texas, with the final injury report listing the linebacker as questionable but expected to dress and test his leg during warmups. That keeps the focus on one of LSUs most important defensive pieces heading into a matchup that already carries plenty of weight, while starting right tackle Weston Davis is probable and defensive lineman Gabe Reliford is off the report entirely, a sign he could be back in the mix as well.
The other side of the equation may be just as important, since Texas star edge Colin Simmons is not on the injury report after missing time with a high ankle sprain. For LSU, the question is less about the headline names on paper and more about how much Weeks can actually give them once warmups start, because his availability could shape how the Tigers handle a Longhorns front that appears to be getting healthier at the right time. [Read more 🡒]