LSU hosts one of the best mid-majors in the country when Liberty comes calling Monday night. Can the Flames get a big win or will the Tigers hold court?
TV Schedule: Monday, November 15, 7:00 PM ET, ESPNU
Arena: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
On Monday, Will Wade’s LSU Tigers (2-0) play host to Ritchie McKay’s Liberty Flames (1-0) in an interesting game that pits a probable tournament team against the team that has flat out dominated the Atlantic Sun over the last three years.
This could be one of those sneaky under-the-radar games that might be seen as a solid win, no matter which team comes out on top, but could be more important down the road for Liberty as it presents the lone opportunity to knock off a power-6 opponent with tournament potential, on the road to boot.
All the Liberty Flames have done over the last three seasons is go 82-17 with a 38-7 record in the Atlantic Sun and three straight tournament and regular-season titles. That dominance will likely continue this season as reigning Player of the Year Darius McGhee, to call the senior guard a sharpshooter would be an understatement as he has what they call in-the-gym range. The senior has a supporting cast that can shoot it as well, Kyle Rode, Keegan McDowell, and Drake Dobbs shot 83-211 from three-point land last season.
On the defensive end, Liberty is an extremely strong rebounding team, and because McKay employs principles learned from Tony Bennett, getting into the paint can be a chore. All the things that make Liberty tough were on display in their opener against Regent University, an 85-24 win that saw the Flames hit 12 3s and held Regent to 21% shooting while outrebounding them 44-29.
LSU took a hit when transfer Adam Miller went down with a season-ending injury just a couple of weeks prior to the season, but Wade’s team still has the talent to be a force in the SEC. They lost a ton but Darius Days returns and Alex Fudge is a big-time big man at 6-8 who will and has made an immediate impact for the Tigers, having scored 18 points to go along with 10 rebounds in the team’s two wins over Louisiana-Monroe and Texas State.
The other big addition, Xavier Pinson from Missouri can be hit or miss at the point guard position but if he’s more hit than miss, the Tigers should be in a good position this season.
This game should be a good battle between what might be Will Wade’s best offensive team since he’s been at LSU, they put up 101 in their opener against Louisiana-Monroe and 84 Friday against Texas State and McKay’s Flames who are one of the better defensive teams in the country, giving up just 60 points per game and ranking in the top-100 in nearly every defensive category.
I think LSU will ultimately be an NCAA Tournament bubble team, but this early in the season could be right for the picking. If Liberty is going to pull the upset, keep an eye on the first 10 minutes of the game, momentum will be important for the Flames. Getting McGhee going early will be important, and if they do the shot-making could become contagious for the team looking for an early-season notch in their belt. I think Liberty does just enough and gets the big win in a tight game.
Prediction: Liberty 76, LSU 72