By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
It was only against Florida International and Alcorn State, but LSU junior transfer forward/center Mike Nwoko took 36 shots in those two wins in November. And he made 30 of them.
That was 18 of 22 from the field and 12 of 14 from the line for 48 points. Against Alcorn State, he hit 12 of 15 from the field and 5 of 6 from the line for a career-high 29 points.
“He’s a beast,” Alcorn State coach Jake Morton said of Nwoko. “We couldn’t keep him off the boards.”
And that was just two games after scoring a then-career-high 22 on 9-of-13 shooting and 4 of 5 from the line in a 93-58 win over UNO on Nov. 10.
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Nwoko, a former Mississippi State and Miami player, is averaging 20 points and six rebounds a game for LSU (4-0) going into its game against Omaha (2-3) on Friday (7 p.m., SEC Network+).
Last season, the Toronto, Canada, native averaged just 6.1 points a game. As a freshman reserve at Miami the previous season, Nwoko averaged just 2.7 a game.
“Mike has been fantastic on the offensive end,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “He’s more skilled in the post than we had anticipated. You see him scoring jump hooks with each hand. I’ve been really pleased with his skill level. He’s worked hard in the player development program.”
Nwoko, who is 6-foot-10 and 261 pounds, was what McMahon was looking for inside from the NCAA Transfer Portal. Last year, the Tigers suffered with no beef in the paint after 6-10, 245-pound forward Jalen Reed went down with a knee injury in game eight and was done for the season.
“At that size, Mike is using his physicality in a great fashion,” McMahon said.
And Reed looks as good as new after his knee surgery. He is averaging 11 points and 5.8 rebounds off the bench.
“That presence in the paint allows us to get to the free throw line,” McMahon said.
In the Alcorn State win on Nov. 18, LSU made more free throws than Alcorn State attempted.
“We need that to be an identity of our team,” McMahon said.
The competition will grow significantly more challenging when Southeastern Conference play begins on Jan. 3 at Texas A&M, but LSU has clearly improved inside.
“We’ve been able to pound the ball in the paint,” McMahon said.
Three players in addition to Nwoko have have been averaging 6.0 rebounds or better. Marquel Sutton, a 6-9, 225-pound transfer guard/forward, leads the team with 9.8 rebounds a game while also scoring 15.8 inside and out. Pablo Tamba, a 6-7, 206-pound senior transfer, is averaging 6.5 rebounds, and sophomore returnee Robert Miller III is just under 6.0 boards a game off the bench.
Sutton averaged 18.9 points a game last season with 7.9 rebounds, 10 blocked shots and 29 steals last season for Omaha, which finished 22-13 and reached the NCAA Tournament.
The defense is better inside, too.
“Pablo can guard every position on the floor,” McMahon said.
Nwoko’s size is why he leads the SEC in shooting percentage at .780.
“Baby food,” Nwoko said after the Alcorn State game when he missed just three of 15 shots. “That’s really about it. Really nothing to just turn and put the ball in the hoop, and they gave me the ball. I want to give a big shoutout to the guards.”
Transfer junior point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. of UNLV leads the SEC in assists with 7.0 a game and is scoring 14 a game.
“The offense has been good, but we need to get better on defense,” Thomas said. “We are nowhere near how good we are going to be.”
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