Analyzing LSU Basketball non-conference schedule and their pending off-court troubles

LSU non-conference road games

Nov. 26-27 Emerald Classic in Niceville (Fla.)

This is a nice little tournament that guarantees the Tigers two games against fellow-power 5 conference teams.

Nov. 26 Penn State

The Nittany Lions are coming off a disappointing 11-14 season, and they will be under the direction of first-year head coach Micah Shrewsberry. The Lions lost starters Jamari Wheeler and Izaiah Brockington, along with Myreon Jones, to the transfer portal. However, they did get good news with Seth Lundy sticking around, and PSU brought in Siena transfer Jalen Pickett.

Nov. 27 Wake Forest/Oregon State

The Demon Deacons are coming off their worst season in decades, going 6-16 under first-year coach Steve Forbes. They do return their top two scorers — Davien Williamson and Isaiah Mucius — and brought in former Ole Miss forward Khadim Sy. Plus, youngsters Carter Whitt and 6-9 forward Tariq Ingraham should be better.

Meanwhile, the Beavers could be the favorites to the Classic as they return five of their top seven players from a surprise Elite Eight appearance last season. Wayne Tinkle, who has guided OSU to 16 or more wins in six of his seven years with the program, has also brought in transfers Xzavier Malone and 7-2 center Chol Marial.

Dec. 11 Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets, who have posted a 34-23 record the last two years and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Josh Pastner, did lose Moses Wright and Jose Alvarado, but Mike DeVoe and Jordan Usher do return. Plus, the Jackets brought in several talented guards in Deivon Smith (Miss. State transfer) and incoming freshmen Deebo Coleman and Miles Kelly.

Dec. 18 Louisianna Tech (Bossier City)

This is an in-state rivalry game. The Bulldogs have posted six straight winning seasons, including winning 20 games five times, under Eric Konkol. They return three of their top four players from last year’s squad that went 24-8.

Jan. 29 TCU (SEC/Big 12 Challenge)

The Horned Frogs have struggled the last two years, although Jaime Dixon has brought in a strong recruiting class, mainly via the transfer portal. Plus, Mike Miles, who ranked second on the team in scoring and assists, returns.

Bottom Line: This is a fairly challenging schedule for the Tigers. At this point, expect the Tigers to win eight or nine of the 14 games. Liberty, Belmont, PSU, Georgia Tech, and Oregon St. (potentially) are their toughest opponents.