Baton Rogue TV station reports home and home with XU

[Mark Potts]

When the LSU men’s basketball team launches the Trent Johnson era in 2008-09, the Tigers apparently won’t take the path of least resistance.
Johnson is making sure of that.

The new LSU coach said he and assistant John Treloar have lined up nonconference games against an Elite Eight team from last season, another that advanced to the Sweet 16 and a third familiar opponent that nearly ended UCLA’s bid for a third consecutive Final Four in the second round.

LSU will play home games against Xavier and Washington State (Dec. 27) next season, with a neutral-site game vs. Texas A&M slated for the Toyota Center in Houston. Johnson said he is also seeking a road game against a power-conference opponent, possibly in the ACC. An agreement with Virginia was nearly reached but fell through.
Finalized contracts are pending on the three games. The Xavier and Washington State matchups are the beginning of home-and-home series with those teams.

“Each year I’d like to play three or four games with teams from power conferences, or teams I know are going to test us — one or two at home, one or two on road and one on a neutral court,” Johnson said. “It’s important to make a schedule depending on what your team looks like. Sometimes you can over schedule with a young team and it beats them down physically and mentally. That’s not the case with this team. I think we’re in a position because we’re older that we need to be challenged before we get into our conference season, and I think the games we’ve set up will certainly do that. We’d still like to find a road game if we can.”

The three opponents on the schedule all figure to help prepare Johnson’s first team for the Southeastern Conference.

Xavier lost three starters from a team that set a school record with a 30-7 mark in 2007-08. The Musketeers cruised past Georgia and Purdue in the NCAA tournament, and then rallied to edged West Virginia 79-75 in overtime in Sweet 16. UCLA ended Xavier’s run with a 76-57 victory in the West Region championship round.

Washington State has recorded back-to-back 26-victory seasons and last year got to the Sweet 16 by blasting Notre Dame 61-41 in the second round. Cougars coach Tony Bennett was a leading candidate for the LSU job and his wife, Laurel, grew up in Baton Rouge and attended LSU.

Three key starters are gone for WSU: Guards Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low and forward Robbie Cowgill. But the Cougars’ cupboard isn’t bare, with NCAA tournament veterans Taylor Rochestie, Aron Baines and Daven Harmeling all expected back.

The Tigers showdown with Washington State will be one of the last games before league play starts.

“That game will give us a real good idea of where we are before the SEC begins,” Johnson said. “Tony does a great job of getting his guys to play hard and make you earn everything you get.”

Playing A&M has become an old hat for LSU. Next year’s game will mark the fourth straight year the Aggies and Tigers have collided on the court, the first time in Houston since 2002 when the clubs played in the first basketball game at Reliant Stadium.

Last year A&M clubbed LSU 79-53 in College Station to snap a two-game losing streak to the Tigers. A&M leads the all-time series 15-9.

LSU has played WSU just once, an 80-78 loss in Pullman, in 1973. Xavier and the Tigers have played twice — the Musketeers winning 93-87 in 1964 and LSU prevailing 78-62 in 1980.

Besides those three high-profile non-conference games, LSU is also working on hosting an exempt round-robin tournament that will include four home games – two the weekend before Thanksgiving and two more the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Plans to play in the NIT Season Tipoff have been put on hold for now. The earliest the Tigers would return to that event would be the 2009-10 season.

[Mr. Neutral]

Sweet! Thanks.

[MuskieCinci]

LSU only went 13-18 last year, but they will no doubt be much better these next two years against us. They are losing only one player I believe and he was not a key player for them at all. Their recruiting class is also very nice, with 5 star J'mison Morgan going to Baton Rouge as well as 3 three star players. I look for them to do much better these next two years with Trent Johnson at the helm.

[Goodenchiladas]

LSU probably loses freshman Anthony Randolph, who is expected to be drafted in the first round, perhaps as high as eighth. I'd say that's a significant loss.

[xuhuh!]

non-conf schedule has really become huge..play the best, beat the best..and if all these kids across the country leave early for the nba.....watch out for miller madness............