The LSU men’s basketball team is itching to get back on the court.
After coming within three points of toppling undisputed No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday, it’s easy to understand why.
The Tigers (17-7, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) will have the chance to move past their narrow loss to the Wildcats when they return to the court against Tennessee (14-9, 6-5 SEC) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Saturday’s contest will be LSU’s first opportunity to erase the sting of its 71-69 loss to unbeaten Kentucky. However, sophomore guard Tim Quarterman doesn’t want the Tigers to forget the way they played against the nation’s best.
“We played with a lot of heart and passion [against Kentucky],” Quarterman said. “I feel like if we bring that to every game, then we’ll have great results.”
Not only will Saturday’s game be a chance for the Tigers to move past their emotional loss, it’ll be a chance to move up in the SEC standings.
With seven games left in the regular season, LSU and the Volunteers are tied for sixth place in league play. The winner will own the tiebreaker for the SEC Tournament if both teams finish with identical records at season’s end.
“It’s a huge game for us,” said LSU junior guard Keith Hornsby. “[Tennessee] is at 6-5 [in SEC], too. It’s another road game. Huge game for us as far as getting back on track.”
Unlike the Tigers, the Volunteers are coming off a win heading into Saturday’s clash. Tennessee defeated Vanderbilt, 76-73, in overtime Thursday to snap a two-game losing skid.
Tennessee senior guard Josh Richardson, the SEC’s fifth-leading scorer, saved the Vols with 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field. He also drained three 3-pointers and tallied seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
LSU coach Johnny Jones said one person won’t be able to defend Richardson the entire game. It’ll be a team effort.
“It’s going to have to really be by committee with the way [Richardson] plays,” Jones said. “He’s extremely strong. He’s got great size on him. They run a lot of screens to get him open. Although [Quarterman] may start on him, our other guys will really have to try to defend him.”
Though Tennessee has one of the SEC’s top five scorers, the Tigers have two — sophomore forwards Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey. In their tallest task of the season against Kentucky, Martin and Mickey combined for 37 points on an efficient 14-of-23 clip from the field.
Despite his big night, Martin said he was more impressed by his team’s resilience.
“We don’t get ourselves down,” Martin said. “We don’t fuss at each other. We come together and find ways to come back.”
While the Tigers will look to avoid starting a losing streak Saturday, they’ll try to end another.
LSU last defeated the Volunteers Jan. 28, 2009 — a stretch spanning six games and four double-digit losses. Last season, Tennessee beat the Tigers, 68-50, in both teams’ SEC opener. Quarterman hasn’t forgotten that loss.
“[Tennessee] came in our house and beat us last year,” Quarterman said. “We’re just looking forward to the opportunity to go at them Saturday and looking forward to bouncing back.”
Hornsby said LSU must play with the same aggressiveness it did against the nation’s top squad if it wants to leave Knoxville, Tennessee, with a much-needed win.
“We can have all that confidence if we play with the same intensity and same edge,” Hornsby said. “We can’t dip down like we did against Mississippi State and Auburn. We have to stay with the same edge we’ve been playing with the last two games. Hopefully, good things will happen.”
You can reach David Gray on Twitter @dgray_TDR.