LSU opened the season looking for balanced scoring and started off well.
Now the Tigers will look to build on that season-opening performance when they face Alabama State on Sunday in Baton Rouge, La.
“We want to play very unselfishly,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “We want the ball moving. We feel like we have multiple weapons at every position. The goal has to be to have balance. Equal opportunity is good for us.”
Last season, the Tigers had three players who averaged in double figures, combining for 41.7 points per game. In Wednesday’s 95-60 win over UL Monroe, four Tigers scored in double figures, led by Jalen Reed’s career-high 24. Cam Carter scored 21, Curtis Givens III had 15 and Dji Bailey added 13.
“I put in a lot of work this offseason, in the weight room and on the court,” said Reed, who averaged 7.9 points last season and whose previous high point total was 16.
Alabama State’s offense also started strong in its opener but couldn’t sustain it in a 93-79 road loss to UNLV on Monday.
The Hornets made their first five 3-point attempts to take a 23-18 lead. But UNLV scored the next 11 points and led the rest of the way.
Alabama State, like LSU, had four players score in double figures: Amarr Knox (19), TJ Madlock (14), Micah Octave (13) and Jasteven Walker (10).
Third-year coach Tony Madlock is looking for continued improvement after the Hornets went 8-23 in his first season and finished 13-19 in his second season. The program hasn’t had a winning record since 2014-15.
“One of the things I talked about when I first got the job was trying to make improvement and get this program back to where it belongs,” Madlock said. “Alabama State has a rich history in basketball. It’s been down for a while. When I took the job, it was a major redo.”
–Field Level Media
