Junior point guard Javonte Smart will not play in the LSU basketball team’s hastily-arranged game with Nicholls State on Saturday.
Will Wade said on his weekly radio show Wednesday night that the Tigers would be missing “one major piece” for what they thought would be a game with Texas Southern.
Texas Southern, however, canceled the game on Christmas Eve in accordance with NCAA-mandated COVID-19 protocols and Wade quickly filled in the game with Nicholls State.
When LSU started its pregame stretch with strength and conditioning coach Greg Goldin an hour before the 1 p.m. tipoff, only 13 of the 15 players on the roster were on the floor.
Smart was one of the two not present.
“He’s not sick, he’s fine,” Wade said of the major piece that would be out. “It’s all the timing of everything, so we’re going to be down one of our very good players. … That’s just part of it. That’s the way it goes.”
Freshman Eric Gaines made his first collegiate start in Smart's place.
In LSU’s most recent game on Dec. 14, Smart played his best all-around game in shredding Sam Houston State for a season-high 25 points — just four shy of his career-high.
He was 11 of 15 from the field overall and went 3 of 5 from beyond the 3-point arc. The 6-foot-4 point guard filled out the stats sheet with six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Smart ranks third on the team with a career-high 15.8 points per game. He leads the Southeastern Conference in shooting 55.6% from 3-point range and 3-pointers made per game at 3.0.
He also ranks second in the leafue in all field-goal accuracy at 63.3%.
Star forward Trendon Watford was on the court for warmups and is expected to play after missing the Sam Houston State game with a minor ankle injury.
Wade said Wednesday night that Watford, LSU’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, was fine and would play.
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December 27, 2020 at 01:29AM
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'Major piece' out: Javonte Smart to miss LSU basketball team's game with Nicholls; Gaines gets first start - The Advocate
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