Back
Another day, another dominant non-conference win for the LSU basketball team as the Tigers (3-0) very nearly doubled up Louisiana Tech 90-50 Monday night inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. LSU trailed for all of 10 seconds of game time, and led by as many as 55 points.
After getting 10 on the floor in Friday night's win over Texas Southern, Will Wade got to go even deeper into his bench, with 13 Tigers seeing playing time. Michael Ruzic led LSU with 18 points in 20 minutes off the bench, while Abdi Bashir Jr. was responsible for four of LSU's eight made three-pointers.
LSU's bench unit very nearly outscored Louisiana Tech's entire team. While the Bulldogs scored 50, LSU's bench scored 40, nearly all of it coming from Ruzic and Bashir. Mo Dioubate was LSU's leading scorer among the starting five with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. Donovan Dent had 12 points and 5 assists, while Skyy Clark had 9 points. Both Dent and Clark each had five steals.
LSU won't get much credit from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee for beating what should be a bottom-tier Sun Belt opponent. Their two other 40-point wins over LSU New Orleans and Texas Southern won't wow people either. But on Saturday afternoon we'll finally get a true idea of just how good Will Wade's squad really is as the Tigers head west to take on Gonzaga in Spokane.
Mark Few has made Gonzaga into one of the most dominant programs in the country since taking the head coaching job in 1999. The Bulldogs have made 27 consecutive NCAA Tournaments including nine straight Sweet 16s from 2015 to 2024, and were the unanimous selection to win the new-look Pac 12. If LSU can beat the Zags in Spokane, that would put the college basketball world on notice.