Texas Tech basketball will meet the LSU Tigers for the tenth time in program history on December 7 in Fort Worth at Dickies Arena. And if the historical pattern of this series holds true, it could be a tough one for the Red Raiders to win. You see, these programs have alternated three-game winning streaks. Texas Tech, beginning in 1957, won the first three games of the series. LSU beginning in 1960, then won their only three contests over the Red Raiders. And Texas Tech, in turn, beginning in 2017, has won the last three. If this pattern holds true--and unless you're a hoops mystic, there's no reason to believe it must--then the Bayou Bengals will commence a three-game run in 2025.
Of far greater concern is the fact that LSU will be an athletic and talented club, as one would expect of an SEC outfit. However, they were far from one of the better teams in that conference last season, winning only three SEC games a year ago. There is reason to believe the Tigers will better that mark, and maybe by a wide margin, in the upcoming season.
As is typical for college basketball franchises in the age of NIL/transfermania, LSU returns only one starter. In this case it is 6-foot-10 power forward Jalen Reed who started the first eight games of last season before succumbing to injury. At the time he was shelved he was averaging 11 points and seven boards per contest and shooting 60 percent from the floor. Assuming he returns to form, Reed should return to the starting lineup.
The player who will probably be at the top of Texas Tech's scouting report is 6-foot-6 combo guard Rashad King who averaged 19 points and six boards per outing last season at Northeastern. He is an extremely athletic three-level scorer who, with a big season, could play himself onto NBA radar screens. In fact, he somewhat resembles the sorts of wings Baylor's Scott Drew routinely cycles into the NBA after one season in Waco.
Another dangerous Tiger will be 6-foot-8 power forward Marquel Sutton who averaged 19 points and eight rebounds per game last season for a decent Omaha club. He is not as athletic as King, and in fact has something of an awkward, herky-jerky game that reminds one of former Alabama and Houston Rockets great, Buck Johnson. Pretty or not, however, Sutton is effective. He moves well without the ball, knows how to play the game, is very comfortable in the midrange and is also a good deep shooter for a power forward.
The player most likely to be matched up against Texas Tech's Christian Anderson is UNLV transfer Dedan Thomas. The 6-foot-1 combo guard averaged 16 points and five assists per game last season as a Running Rebel and owned an assist/turnover ratio of 2.5. He's quick off the bounce but doesn't have the sustained burst to separate from defenders regularly. Consequently, Thomas often has to play through contact, which he does surprisingly well for such a little guy. He will definitely be LSU's floor general.
The fifth probable starter is 6-foot-7 small forward Pablo Tamba who played at UC-Davis last season and averaged 11 points and five rebounds per game. He is an explosive finisher who really runs the court and is a big transition threat.
Top backups for LSU figure to be 6-foot-10, 260 center Mike Nwoko, a starter for Mississippi State last season, and 6-foot-6 combo guard Max Mackinnon from the University of Portland. Nwoko moves well and elevates for a player of his size and Mackinnon plays bigger than 6-foot-6 even though he has no ups.
Assuming coach Matt McMahon can fit these pieces together quickly, the Tigers will provide the Red Raiders with a stiff challenge. But that's as non-conference games should be. The only pity is that the game isn't taking place in Lubbock.