LSU men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones hopes his players didn’t buy into the hype too early.
Just when the Tigers seemed destined for their first NCAA Tournament in six years, LSU (21-9, 10-7 Southeastern Conference) took a shot to the face in its home finale.
“Everyone is very emotional,” said LSU sophomore forward Jarell Martin. “Everyone realizes winning is very important. We know where we are trying to get to at the end of the year. For us to get that loss, it’s very frustrating.”
In a season full of ups and downs, LSU reached another low Wednesday night in a 78-63 loss to Tennessee — the largest margin of defeat all season — ending the Volunteers’ five-game losing streak.
But the Tigers once again have a chance to get off their back with a critical road test against No. 18 Arkansas at 1 p.m. Saturday at Bud Walton Arena, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
LSU sophomore guard Tim Quarterman said Wednesday night’s loss was more about the Vols’ execution and less about the Tigers’ focus.
“We were not thinking about that,” Quarterman said after the game. “Every team in this conference is tough. You have to go out there every night like it’s your last game and leave it out on the floor. They made a ton of good plays tonight. They made many contested threes. They made tough shots around the basket. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do the same.”
LSU now finds itself back on the bubble, according to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi and CBS Bracketologist Jerry Palm, who both have the Tigers listed as No. 10 seeds in their projected bracket.
If there’s any consolation, Jones’ club has a chance to erase the loss with a win against the Razorbacks (24-6, 13-4 SEC), which is ranked 17th in Ratings Perentage Index according to ESPN.
With a 7-3 record on the road, including a win at No. 20 West Virginia on Dec. 4, LSU guard Keith Hornsby said the Tigers may benefit from the trip to Fayetteville.
“There’s not as much pressure on the road,” Hornsby said. “Sometimes, mistakes hurt a little more at home, but I don’t think that’s been the case all year. We’ve been road warriors at times. We’ve really just taken advantage of the road environment … [It has] said a lot about this team.
But Saturday’s matchup will be no small task. The Razorbacks rank ninth in the nation in points per game (79) and sixth in assists per game (16.8), led by sophomore forward Bobby Portis.
The 6-foot-11 Portis ranks second in the conference in scoring (17.7) and fourth in the SEC in rebounds (8.5) — just behind LSU sophomore forwards Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin. Mickey, who suffered a shoulder injury Wednesday but is expected to play Saturday, and Martin struggled defending the interior against Tennessee, losing the points in the paint battle by 16.
On the other end of the floor, Tennessee swarmed Mickey and Martin in the post out of its zone defense, holding the Tigers to just 37.5 percent clip from the field in the second half.
But the key to Saturday’s matchup will be the similar, up-tempo styles between LSU and Arkansas. Arkansas frequently uses a full-court press and is 20-0 when forcing 15 or more turnovers. LSU averages 14.6 turnovers per game but hasn’t given it away more than 11 times in the last three games.
“We have to play how we play,” Jones said. “We’re better when we’re an up-tempo team … We get a lot of fast break opportunities be it steals or turning people over. [Arkansas] plays the same way … We’re hopeful because of their press, if we handle it the right way, that we can attack instead of pulling the ball out.”
You can reach James Bewers on Twitter @JamesBewers_TDR.