Will Wade’s LSU Tigers kept rolling Friday night, and the formula was about as clear as it gets: size, defense and a wing duo that did damage on both ends.
LSU improved to 2-0 with a 92-51 home win over Texas Southern, a game that had a few early moments where the visitors made things interesting before the Tigers pulled away for good. Once LSU settled in, the gap opened fast.
The Tigers controlled the paint from start to finish, winning that battle 62-12 and finishing with a 50-29 edge on the glass. LSU also didn’t need a hot shooting night from deep to bury Texas Southern, going just 5-for-22 from three as a team. That kind of perimeter night won’t always be enough, but on this evening it hardly mattered.
The biggest spark came from wings Saliou Niang and Mo Dioubate, who were everywhere. They combined for 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting, added 18 rebounds, blocked a shot and piled up five steals. It was the kind of all-around production Wade can live with every night.
Donovan Dent didn’t have his sharpest scoring game, but he still steered the offense the way LSU wants him to. He finished with another 10-assist night and posted his second double-double of the season, giving the Tigers a steady hand at point guard even when his own shot wasn’t falling.
Brice Dessert remains the piece LSU is trying to get humming before conference play. There’s a noticeable difference when he’s at center instead of Michael Ruzic, especially on the defensive end, and Dessert is the starter right now. Against Texas Southern, he logged 12 minutes and finished with nine points, two rebounds, three fouls and two turnovers, while posting a -6.
The upside is obvious. With Dent feeding him, Dessert has the chance to become a real force inside, and LSU is going to keep giving him the runway to figure it out.
Next up, the Tigers stay home for a Monday night matchup with Louisiana Tech before heading to Gonzaga next Saturday for what will be their first real test.
In Other News...
LSU Just Added A Louisiana Linebacker Worth Watching Closely
LSU kept a Louisiana linebacker in the fold with the addition of JaMarquis Hudson, who flipped his commitment from Kansas to the Tigers. The move brings him back closer to home after he built his high school profile in Texas, and it also gives LSU another defender with real ties to the state and a clear connection to the programs staff.
Hudson said family ties to Louisiana and his relationships with LSU coaches played a major role in the change, and he has already developed a strong rapport with linebackers coach Chris Kiffin. He also knows there is work ahead, planning to add weight so he can better fit LSUs defensive scheme, which makes his development one of the more interesting things to watch as this commitment settles in. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Alabama Grades Exposed One Bright Spot And One Big Concern
Pro Football Focus postgame grades offered a quick snapshot of where LSU held up and where it slipped in the loss to Alabama, and the numbers pointed to one clear offensive bright spot. Wide receiver Jackson Harris came out with the Tigers top offensive grade at 80.7, a sign that he was one of the few LSU players who consistently made his presence felt in a tough matchup.
The bigger concern showed up inside, where center Braelin Moore posted the lowest offensive mark at 49.3. On the other side of the ball, cornerback DJ Pickett led LSU with a 76.3 grade, and the defensive chart did not feature any glaringly poor performances, which leaves the focus on an offense that still has some sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]
Will Wade Sent LSU A Warning After That Blowout
A big win over Texas Southern did not leave Will Wade sounding particularly satisfied, and that says plenty about where LSU is right now. Even after the Tigers handled business, Wade pointed to offensive inefficiencies and turnovers as the kind of slippage that can get exposed once the schedule stiffens, especially with Louisiana Tech and Gonzaga coming up next.
Donovan Dent said the message from the coach was all about staying locked in and not letting a lopsided result blur the bigger picture. For LSU, the concern is less about the final score from one night and more about whether the Tigers can clean up the details fast enough to be ready when the competition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]