The primary focus of the LSU men’s basketball team will be slowing down Missouri junior guard Phil Pressey when the Tigers travel to Columbia, Mo., for a rematch with Missouri on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers (17-9, 8-7 Southeastern Conference) are one month removed from their 73-70 victory against Missouri (19-8, 8-6 SEC) in the PMAC. Missouri was ranked No. 17 at the time, and the victory stands as a signature win for the Tigers.
LSU nearly blew a 16-point lead in the first matchup, with Pressey taking over the game with 25 points. LSU sophomore guard Anthony Hickey dueled Pressey throughout the night, and he finished with 20 points as LSU was able to close out the victory with late free throws.
“I thought in the second half, [Pressey] kind of took over the game,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones. “He played extremely well. When we had a lead, he was the reason that they got back in it, because of some of the plays that he made. As a player, when you have a guy who’s that explosive, the only thing you want to do is try and contain him. You know he’s going to score and make big plays.”
Hickey, who leads the nation in steals with 3.3 per game, will get his second opportunity to guard Pressey, whose 7.0 assists per game put him at eighth in the country. Hickey finished with two steals in the January matchup, while Pressey dished out five assists.
LSU grabbed a season-low 26 rebounds the first go-round with Missouri, a significant step down from its average of 38.3 per game. Missouri, anchored by senior forwards Laurence Bowers and Alex Oriakhi, is ranked second in the country with 42 rebounds per game.
After sitting all but three minutes in LSU’s loss at Tennessee last Tuesday, senior guard Charles Carmouche has sparked the Tigers’ offense in their subsequent victories against Alabama and Arkansas, scoring 20 and 26 points, respectively.
“I think [Carmouche] understands that this is it for him,” Jones said. “… The most important thing he understands is that it’s about his team and what we need to do to get better. I think he understands when he’s at his best or doing the things that he can do best, we have a much better chance of succeeding.”
Pressey was able to sneak into the lane in the first game between the two, delivering 10 points on layups. Hickey said his objective is to turn Pressey into a shooter instead of worrying about steals.
“I’m not going to let him get to the rim a lot, and I’m going to try to be wherever he’s at,” Hickey said. “If he goes to the bathroom, I’m going to the bathroom, and I’m going to try to stay on him the whole game and just lock down defensively.”
Who: LSU (17-9, 8-7) vs. Missouri (19-8, 8-6)
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.
Watch/Listen at: SEC Network, 98.1 FM
