LSU’s 2018-19 basketball schedule is beginning to fill out, as the Tigers added another quality non-conference opponent to its home slate.
Will Wade’s second season will feature a Nov. 9 matchup with defending Southern Conference champs UNC-Greensboro, according to documents obtained by Tiger Rag.
That matchup will fall on the first Friday of a season that officially begins on Nov. 6, thanks to a new NCAA rule moving the start of the season up three days. LSU will square off with Southeastern on Nov. 6 to begin Wade’s second campaign, which will feature the addition of a top-five recruiting class led by five-stars Naz Reid and Emmitt Williams, homegrown four-star Javonte Smart, and the return of starting guards Tremont Waters, Skylar Mays, and a host of experienced lettermen.
The Spartans, led by head coach Wes Miller, won the SoCon – where Wade formerly worked as the head coach at Chattanooga – in 2017-18, finishing 15-3 in league play and sweeping the conference tournament to advance to the NCAAs, where they narrowly lost as a 13-seed to fourth-seeded Gonzaga. The 27 wins were a program record and included a victory over North Carolina State on the road. UNC-G has won 52 games over the past two seasons, and Miller earned SoCon Coach of the Year honors in 2017-18.
His squad returns SoCon Defensive Player of the Year James Dickey (8.9 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, 2.1 blocks per game) and leading scorer Francis Alonso (15.6 points per game, 40.1% 3FG), a first-team All-SoCon performer last season. The Spartans boasted a top-25 defense nationally, giving up just 95.7 points per 100 possessions.
LSU Basketball 2018-19 Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 6: Southeastern
Nov. 9: UNC-Greensboro
Nov. 13: Memphis*
Nov. 22-Nov. 25: Advocare Invitational (Orlando, Fla.)
Dec. 9: Incarnate Word
Dec. 12: @Houston
Dec. 15: St. Mary’s (Las Vegas, MGM Resorts Showcase)
Dec. 21: Furman
Dec. 28: UL-Monroe
*per Jon Rothstein
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