The road woes are still there, and the porous defense that’s plagued LSU for the last two weeks hasn’t gone away.
Although the Jan. 28 upset against then-No. 11 Kentucky lingers in the Tigers’ minds, Saturday’s 4 p.m. rematch at Rupp Arena is a fresh slate; a prime chance for the Tigers (16-9, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) to quash the questions surrounding a suddenly spiraling season.
“We need this game,” said junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III. “We need it really bad.”
Since the late-night icy showcase on national television three weeks ago, the two teams have spiraled in different directions. Kentucky (20-6, 10-3 SEC) recovered to go 5-1 in that stretch, taking crucial road wins against Missouri and Ole Miss.
LSU, on the other hand, has crumbled on the road, limping to a 3-3 record since the upset — all of its losses coming on the road.
Though the results aren’t indicative, LSU coach Johnny Jones said he likes his team’s approach on the road, especially in front of a boisterous Bud Walton Arena crowd last Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark., and last season in a three-point loss at Rupp Arena.
“In terms of growth, we unfortunately haven’t won, but we played really well in those environments,” Jones said. “If you continue to do that, some good things will happen for you, but you have to be able to compete and not be overshadowed or overwhelmed by the environment.”
O’Bryant and freshman forward Jordan Mickey teamed for 47 points while containing Kentucky freshman forward Julius Randle, holding the preseason SEC Player of the Year to just six points on 3-of-11 shooting.
In the six games since, Randle has rebounded to chip in 16 points per game, balancing the Wildcat frontcourt with freshman Dakari Johnson and sophomore 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein to gel an offense that at times went stagnant against the Tigers.
“I can’t back down from the challenge,” O’Bryant said. “We did a great job walling up and playing good post defense [in January]. Jordan did a great job blocking shots when he could, and we played solid post defense on him.”
The story, though, may lie on the perimeter where LSU has been suspect in its road defense, allowing opponents to shoot more than 50 percent from the 3-point line in two of its past three road contests.
Add in a slew of Kentucky freshmen guards meshing, and the task becomes that much more unenviable, according to LSU senior guard Anthony Hickey.
“I noticed they’re playing really well now,” Hickey said. “They’re just playing [free]. They’re running the show. … We have to match their effort. We have to do a better job of doing what they’re doing.”
For Hickey — a Hopkinsville, Ky. native who won a state championship in Rupp Arena — the venue isn’t strange. The fans and family anticipating his visit sit at the back of his mind.
It’s only about one game. 
“We came up a little short last year,” Hickey said. “Don’t worry about nothing else. It’s just basketball.”