NBA prospect Naz Reid goes for double-double as LSU fends off Yale in NCAA Tournament

By ADAM ZAGORIA

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On the eve of his first NCAA Tournament game, Naz Reid said he wanted to make a statement like some of his role models from the New York and New Jersey area: Kemba Walker and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Both of those players reached at least a Final Four, with Walker and UConn winning the whole thing in 2011

The 6-foot-10 Reid has a ways to go before he gets that far but he had an impressive performance in his first NCAA Tournament game, going for 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds as No. 3 LSU fought off No. 14 Yale, 79-74, in a first-round East Regional game here at Veterans Memorial Arena.

“I think I did [take a step],” the Asbury Park, N.J., native and former Roselle Catholic star said in the locker room. “Not a huge step like I thought it would be. You don’t know what to expect in NCAA March Madness. We won our first game and hopefully we’ll win this one.”