While bopping to the pregame music and executing their customary layup lines, each member of the LSU basketball team gets a ritualistic question from junior forward Jalen Courtney.
“You ready to eat?” Courtney asks.
Hungry or not, the Tigers (13-8, 4-6 Southeastern Conference) must embark on a six-day stretch involving three games and two road trips, starting tonight at Colonial Life Arena against South Carolina (12-11, 2-8, SEC).
Led by sophomore Johnny O’Bryant III and guard Anthony Hickey, the Tigers have reeled off four wins in six conference games since dropping the first four, positioning themselves in the middle of the muddled SEC standings.
O’Bryant posted a career-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 60-57 loss at Alabama on Saturday, good for his ninth double-double of the season and sixth in the last seven games.
“I just wanted to win,” O’Bryant said. “I tried to put pressure on the rim and get to the free throw line and do whatever I could to get us a win.”
The 6-foot-11 forward’s efforts were not enough as LSU again fell on the road, but coach Johnny Jones noticed progression after his team’s woeful start.
Jones pointed to more sensible shot selection and a gradual adaptation to physical SEC play as the impetus for his team’s recent success.
“I thought early on we probably didn’t make the best decisions sometimes, or we would take some early shots that we could possibly get a little later in the clock,” Jones said. “I just want to make sure they’re shooting from their areas.
Along with shot selection, the Tigers have seemingly learned how to execute down the stretch, especially after squandering a four-point lead in an 82-73 overtime loss against the Gamecocks on Jan. 16.
“We all have something to learn the further we go along,” said junior guard Andre Stringer. “As you build and progress, you learn different things.”
In that loss against the Gamecocks in mid-January, South Carolina true freshman Michael Carrera introduced himself to the conference, coming off the bench to lead all scorers with 23 points to go along with 10 boards.
Both Jones and Stringer lamented the easy looks and defensive rebounds Carrera was able to corral in the second half as he resurrected his team from a late-game deficit.
“Carrera kind of had his coming out party [against LSU],” Jones said. “He’s really kind of become the leader of their team. He’s a solid player, been really good for them and is kind of carrying them in a sense.”
While Carrera has led the Gamecocks in SEC play with 11.6 points per game, two-sport star Bruce Ellington is the only other player averaging double figures, chipping in an even 10 points per game while dishing out 27 assists.
Hickey said the Tigers don’t exactly have revenge on the brain, but focus more on returning the favor after letting one get away at the PMAC for only their second home loss of the season.
“We’re going to find a way to win,” Hickey said. “We’re going to get this thing together.”
