Will Wade’s second run at LSU opened with the kind of statement win coaches dream about.
The Tigers rolled past LSU New Orleans 100-57 on Tuesday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, controlling the game from the start and showing off a roster that can score in a bunch of different ways. LSU finished with five players in double figures, leaned on a disruptive defense, and turned the game into a runaway long before the final buzzer.
Donovan Dent, the UCLA transfer, wasted no time making his presence felt in an LSU uniform. He finished with 19 points and 10 assists for a double-double, and he did it without a turnover in 30 minutes. Freshman forward Michael Ruzic added 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Saliou Niang stuffed the box score with 14 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and six steals.
Wade singled out Niang afterward for the way he changed the game on both ends.
"I thought Saliou Niang was tremendous, just on the point of the press," Wade said. "Six steals, 14 rebounds, five offensive rebounds. He just does so many things that help you win."
"He's an incredible passer. I mean, look, he makes the whole press work. You can't get the ball inbounds against him."
Brice Dessert chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds, and Rashad Bashir Jr. added 11 points off the bench as LSU’s second unit made a major impact. The Tigers got 44 points from their bench overall, a big part of how they kept pouring it on.
The numbers told the story of a team that was in control everywhere. LSU shot 51.3% from the field, outscored New Orleans 60-20 in the paint and owned a 53-38 edge on the glass. The Tigers also piled up 30 fast-break points and forced 16 turnovers, turning those mistakes into 25 points.
Defensively, LSU made life miserable for the Privateers. New Orleans shot just 24.6% overall and 13.8% from 3-point range, going 4 of 29 from deep. The Tigers also came away with 11 steals and six blocks while smothering the ball on the perimeter and in the press.
Wade pointed to Niang’s rebounding and versatility as part of what allowed LSU to play the way it wants to play.
"He gets nine defensive rebounds, and he pushes the ball out two or three dribbles," Wade said. "I mean, that gets your break going.
We did a good job pitching the ball ahead tonight. We did a good job playing a little bit faster."
The game was effectively over by halftime. LSU stormed to a 53-17 lead through the first 20 minutes and shot 56.8% in the opening half.
Ruzic led the way with 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting before the break, while Dent and Niang each had 11. The Tigers also beat New Orleans badly in transition early, taking a 22-4 edge in fast-break points before halftime.
LSU kept pushing after the break and stretched the margin to as many as 54 points with 9:07 left. Even with the lopsided score, Wade wasn’t satisfied with everything he saw in the second half.
"Second-half effort wasn't good enough," Wade said. "We've got to play to a certain standard."
New Orleans managed 40 points in the second half after scoring just 17 before the break. Yohan Ortiz led the Privateers with 16 points, and Kedrick Osby finished with eight.
Tuesday marked Wade’s first regular-season game back in Baton Rouge after previously coaching LSU from 2017-22 and leading the Tigers to the 2019 SEC regular-season championship. But he made it clear the night was about the present, not the past.
"We're not back for the nostalgia or any of that," Wade said. "We're back to win.
We're back to dominate. We're back to build a championship-caliber program.
"So this was just step one in what we're trying to do."
Wade also said LSU’s sharper practice habits helped set the tone after the team’s exhibition loss to Florida State.
"Our practice habits leading into this were extremely sharp," Wade said. "We had a very good week of prep and focused preparation."
Even with the emphatic opener, Wade said there’s still work ahead before Friday.
"Overall, solid first outing," Wade said. "We've got a lot of things that we need to clean up these next couple of days before we play on Friday."
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