Even though the LSU men’s basketball team’s NCAA Tournament hopes are on thin ice, the Tigers will get at least one shot on a big stage tonight against Vanderbilt.
The Commodores’ home court, Memorial Gym, is notorious for its unusual bench placement and an atmosphere LSU players described as “theatrical.”
“They got the lights down and the court raised, so you’re in the middle, with all eyes on you,” said junior forward Eddie Ludwig. “Then, the benches are behind the basket, so it just adds to the isolation a little. Communication is different.”
The trip marks the end of a brutal stretch of Southeastern Conference away games for the Tigers (13-9, 3-5 SEC). LSU lost to Arkansas, No. 25 Alabama, No. 15 Florida and No. 16 Mississippi State in games away from the PMAC in January. 
The task gets no simpler tonight, as Vanderbilt (16-7, 5-3 SEC) fields the league’s deepest and most experienced roster.
“There is nobody like Vanderbilt in this league,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson.
The Commodores regularly rotate 10 players into games and have trotted out 11 different starting lineups this season. Nine contributors play double-digit minutes, including six upperclassmen.
The ‘Dores depth means Vandy coach Kevin Stallings will likely run full-court pressure at LSU, a strategy that has given the Tigers fits in recent road outings.
“I don’t expect the press, but we’ll be prepared if they [pressure] full court,” said LSU junior center Justin Hamilton. “The Arkansas [win] showed we can slow it down better.”
While Vanderbilt boasts an unusually deep lineup, it doesn’t sacrifice explosive individual scoring for that depth.
The SEC’s top two scorers are Commodores. Junior shooting guard John Jenkins averages 19.9 points per game, and senior combo guard Jeffrey Taylor adds 17.7 points per game.
“They have some guys that are efficient offensively, which obviously makes defending difficult. Jenkins and Taylor are dangerous from the perimeter,” Hamilton said.
But Johnson said he’s more concerned with Taylor’s impact when the senior doesn’t have the ball.
“He can guard a one, two or three, and really take guys out of the game,” Johnson noted. “Last year, he was very effective against us defensively.”
Vanderbilt has lost its last two games, dropping road tilts at Florida and Arkansas last week, but has won six straight against LSU dating back to 2006.
Ludwig was part of a stellar LSU bench performance during the Arkansas win, scoring 12 points, and said the Tigers will need to match Vanderbilt’s depth to ensure a hot start to the final half of league play.
“A lot of people probably aren’t giving us a fair chance to win this game,” Ludwig said. “We look at this like a must-win.
 
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Contact Chris Abshire at [email protected].