CHESNUT HILL, Massachusetts — The LSU Tigers play their first game of the season on opponent’s home court when they travel to the Conte Forum to take on Boston College Wednesday night at 6:15 p.m. CT.
The game will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network with the Voice of the Tigers Chris Blair and former LSU head coach John Brady on the call (Guaranty Media flagship Eagle 98.1 FM). The telecast of the game is on the ACC Network with Brian Custer and Jon Crispin on the call.
The Tigers are 7-0 on the season after defeating Drake and DePaul to win the Emerald Coast Championship in Niceville, Florida last weekend. The Tigers won 96-63 over DePaul in the championship game as seven players scored in double figures in the contest. LSU point guard Dedan Thomas Jr., was named the MVP of the event and Max Mackinnon was also named to the all-tournament team.
LSU received votes Monday in both major college basketball polls and as of Tuesday was No. 19 in the NCAA NET Rankings, which were announced on Monday for the first time.
This is the third year of the ACC/SEC Challenge with LSU 1-1 in the first two years, losing 80-57 in 2023 at Syracuse, before winning in Baton Rouge last year, 85-75, against Florida State. The SEC and ACC split the games in the opening year with the SEC winning 14-of-16 games against the ACC.
Prior to that, in the challenge with the Big 12 and the Big East, the Tigers were 4-5 in those games. Overall, LSU’s challenge record is 5-6.
The Eagles of Boston College are 4-4 entering the game after a win last Wednesday, 73-60, at the Edgerley Family Court at Conte Forum over Harvard.
Fred Payne led the Eagles with 17 points, with Jayden Hastings and Boden Kapke adding 10 points each. Boston College shot 44.1 percent for the game (26-of-59) with 12 three-point makes and 9-of-10 at the line. The Eagles outrebounded Harvard, 34-33, and led, 38-30 at the half.
Donald Hand Jr., leads the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game, while Payne averaged 12.9 points and 3.0 assists. Aidan Shaw averaged a team best 8.9 rebounds a game for Coach Earl Grant in his fifth year as head coach at Boston College after seven years at Charleston.
Mike Nwoko leads the Tigers in scoring 17.4 points a game with Thomas at 14.4, Mackinnon at 13.0 and Marquel Sutton at 12.6 points. Sutton leads the team in rebounds at 8.4 a game with Pablo Tamba at 7.1 board. Thomas leads the team with a league leading 7.0 assists a game.
The Tigers are averaging 94.3 points a game, while giving up 68.3 points. LSU has scored 90 or more points in six-of-the-team’s seven games. As of Tuesday morning, the Tigers are the national leaders in two-point shooting percentage at 65.4 percent.
As announced earlier, the Tigers will be without Jalen Reed, who suffered a left Achilles injury and will miss the rest of the season after surgery on Tuesday.
The Tigers will play next in Fort Worth at Dickie’s Arena in the Coast 2 Coast Challenge, Sunday at 2 p.m. against Texas Tech.
