North Carolina State: Tuesday was a rematch of last year’s NCAA second round tournament game, which the Wolfpack won by a 66-65 margin.
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Coming in with three games in a row with 20-plus points, Simmons launched only one shot, an 18-foot jumper off an inbounds pass. Instead, the big man focused on facilitating and fed teammates three times for assists, a number that should have been higher if not for some misses on makeable shots. It’s easier for them to hit you in the hand if you take it like that. LSU led by 14 at halftime and NC State’s defense held the Tigers to 29.2 percent shooting in the second half while BeeJay Anya hit the game-winning shot with one-tenth of a second remaining…. “Because of his size, athleticism and his ability to handle the ball he is unique”. Quarterman’s 3 made the Tigers 10-for-25 from outside the arc and 7-for-13 in the second half. But Simmons, who played all 40 minutes, twice passed on the final possession after Jajuan Johnson’s two free throws gave Marquette the lead for good with 11 seconds left.
I’m not saying Simmons is on the same level as Lebron now, but you can’t say you don’t see it in his future. “They made sure I couldn’t get to the rim”. He contributes as an undersized power forward, oversized point guard or wing.
“As a team, we can’t ask him to put up those kinds of numbers night in and night out”, LSU coach Johnny Jones said. 250 percent from three-point range this season, it’s critical to get the ball into the post and work inside-out, and it looks like Wojciechowski is doing a good job of stressing that to his team. As a team, we can not ask him to put up these kinds of numbers night in and night out.
An 83-80 loss to Belmont to open the season, while painful, wasn’t all that damaging to Marquette’s tournament chances, provided that they bounced back with a strong showing against Iowa. In his first big test as a college player vs. Duke, Murray had 16 points, five assists, five rebounds and four blocks.
“Up until we came here, he had not played well”, Wojciechowski said. After N.C. State used a foul, LSU had 1.9 seconds to try to win and again couldn’t get the ball to Simmons.
The Wolfpack’s three perimeter starters are averaging at least 31 minutes per game, with Caleb Martin at 36.7 and point guard Cat Barber at 38.7. Simmons is not the only Australian on the roster. Center Darcy Malone is from Canberra and has global experience playing for his country. His passing might have had even more of an impact if LSU was able to make more plays. After wins against McNeese State, Kennesaw State and South Alabama, the Tigers will have their first non-home game against the Golden Eagles. Johnson suffered a bloody nose when he got fouled on a layup with 15:10 remaining and was unable to take the free throw. He returned about two minutes later.
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Arizona State dropped to 3-2 on the season with the loss, leaving NY with a 1-1 split.
