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LSU Tigers Star-Studded Backcourt Shines Despite Exhibition Loss To FSU
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- LSU Tigers Star-Studded Backcourt Shines Despite Exhibition Loss To FSU
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Will Wade finally had his full roster for the LSU Tigers exhibition game on Saturday afternoon against the Florida State Seminoles . They fell short 89-87, but showed a ton of fight and had some players make themselves known to this fanbase.
This is a game that the Tigers would have been favored to win the regular season, but a loss isn't worth freaking out over given that it was the first time that this full group played together.
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The standout of this game was the starting backcourt of Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark, the former UCLA Bruins teammates who were highly anticipated once they announced they'd be coming to LSU. They started alongside Mo Dioubate, Saliou Niang and Brice Dessert. That could be the five they roll out to begin the year.
Dent has been one of the most anticipated players in the country. He is expected to be hte leader of this team. Through three exhibition games, he looks ready to live up to that hype. He had actually once retired from the sport after his career with the Bruins, but came back once he got another year of eligibility.
In their second game, Dent almost had a triple-double. In this one, he finished with 24 points and nine assists. It was the first game for the Tigers for Clark, and he looked very promising. He finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists while shooting 7-of-12 from three. He was an elite three-point shooter last year and will need to continue that this season.
It appears as though Abdi Bashir Jr. will be responsible for the offensive output off the bench. He was 4-of-10 from three in this game. No one will complain about him shooting 40% on double-digit attempts.
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Dessert got the start over Michael Ruzic at center, but both should play major minutes this year. Dessert showed his offensive potential in the paint, though he didn't have much volume. Ruzic offers more on defense, on the boards and as a shooter, so they should complement each other well.
Niang had a quiet debut, but had flashes and finished a team-best +12. The defensive potential of he and Dioubate together is immense. The Seminoles' star forward Shon Abaev was able to put some pressure on them at times, but there should be some good film to go over. Niang and Dioubate combined for 13 rebounds and four turnovers, which should be on the low-end this year.
The Tigers will kick off the season in a little over a week on Tuesday, November 3, against the LSU New Orleans Privateers.
