LSU Basketball Hits "Reset" Button as Tigers Gear Up for Georgia Tech
It’s been over a week since the Tigers have suited up against competition and head coach Will Wade has made sure to make the most of their time off. Turnovers have been a problem for the Tigers and Wade knows just how costly those miscues can be against a fiery ACC opponent in Georgia Tech this Saturday.
Wade opened up last Saturday’s practice by running for every turnover they had against Ohio, a whopping 17 in total. The fast-paced tempo of this team and fundamentally sound defense has allowed them to get away with mental mistakes to this point, but Coach Wade knows it won’t slide come conference play.
“That’s how we started practice Saturday morning, running for every turnover,” Wade said Thursday. “That went over real well.”
Shifting focus to Georgia Tech this weekend, it’ll be a different offense than the Tigers are used to. Staying alert with their constant backdoor cuts and high-post sets, the Tigers will need to limit their twitchy offensive scheme.
“They run a Princeton style offense, which we haven’t played this year” Wade said. “We’re going to have to be able to keep the ball out of the pinch post. We’re going to have to guard some backdoors and some back cuts, which will be different.”
The Yellow Jackets will be led by senior guard Michael Devoe who has been exceptional to this point in the season. Exceptional is an understatement. Averaging 23 points per game on 54.5% from three-point range, Devoe is a gifted three-level scorer.
Controlling the pace and getting others involved, Devoe is the engine that makes this team go. Another key piece to the Yellow Jackets success is senior guard Jordan Usher. One of the better rebounding guards in the ACC, Usher leads Georgia Tech in rebounds per game with seven a night.
It’s clear Tech plays through their guards. Leading the way in nearly every statistical category and controlling both ends of the floor, their backcourt play is what makes them such an underrated team in the country. Defensively is where they confuse teams, running different sets virtually every time down the floor, which was something Wade harped on Thursday afternoon.
“They play every defense known to man,” Wade said. “They play a 1-3-1 demand. They play a 1-3-1 to a 2-3 zone. They play a tandem front 2-3 zone. They play straight man. They do a bunch of different stuff. We’re going to have to be prepared for a lot of different changing defenses… They make it very hard to get into a rhythm.”
For the Tigers to see success Saturday evening, they’ll have to control the tempo and limit the volume of the Yellow Jackets guards. Devoe has proven to be a force through their first eight games and this team will surely be looking to recover after back-to-back losses.
A team that thrives in breaking down opponents with their pace and efficient offense, it’ll be important to limit Georgia Tech’s paint touches. Despite shooting 40% from three as a team, their backdoor cuts leading to easy buckets is where they expose opponents.
The Tigers face the Yellow Jackets Saturday evening at 5:00 p.m. in their first game back after a 10-day hiatus, looking to continue their hot start to the season.
