Win or go home.
That’s how the LSU men’s basketball team has to approach the Southeastern Conference tournament, which the No. 8-seed Tigers (17-13, 7-9 SEC) begin today against No. 9-seed Arkansas (18-13, 6-10 SEC) at noon in New Orleans.
LSU enters the tournament on a three-game losing streak after taking a 24-point pounding at Ole Miss, dropping an overtime decision against Tennessee and a 15-point defeat at the hands of Auburn.
LSU coach Trent Johnson said the Tigers’ problem is simple — they need to shoot better.
“Basically, we just haven’t shot the ball well,” he said. “We haven’t been able to get some stops. It’s just one of those things that’s an unfortunate time that we aren’t playing well.”
Johnson said the Tigers hit a tough wall after they earned their 17th win.
“We had a lot of things on our table that we could accomplish and still can,” he said. “But I think the guys started to sense a little pressure as opposed to just enjoying it and playing and continuing to work and grind and let the chips fall where they may.”
Arkansas isn’t exactly on fire entering tournament play, either.
The Razorbacks have lost seven of their last nine SEC games, with only one of those losses coming against a ranked opponent in a 30-point loss to Florida.
“We’ve got an Arkansas team that has had their struggles, but I’ve got to believe they’re going to be ready to start a new season, too,” Johnson said. “We’re looking forward to starting a clean slate.”
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said he wants the Razorbacks to push the tempo during the tournament and acknowledged both teams are coming into the game “hungry.”
“It’s a one-game season,” Anderson said in a teleconference. “The first game is the most important game in any tournament you play.”
LSU and Arkansas played twice this season, each team winning on its home court.
In the teams’ first meeting, Arkansas freshman guard BJ Young dropped 19 points while the Razorbacks shot 50 percent from 3-point range to defeat LSU, 69-60.
But when the teams met in Baton Rouge, it was a different story.
Four Tigers scored in double figures as the Tigers topped the Razorbacks, 71-65.
LSU couldn’t find any perimeter presence in either game, shooting 16 percent from behind the arc in the teams’ first meeting and 15 percent in the teams’ second meeting.
But Johnson said LSU has improved as the season wore on.
“Going into this season, there were a lot of unknowns,” he said. “We knew we were going to have to get it done by grinding or get it done by committee whether it was by scoring or by doing it defensively.”
The winner of the LSU-Arkansas tilt goes on to play No. 1 Kentucky on Friday.
“You never know — that’s why you line up,” Johnson said. “I fully expect us to finish like we started — competing our tail off and trying to find a way to win a game.”
 
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Contact Albert Burford at [email protected]