The last home game of the regular season is usually designated as senior night, a final chance for fans to thank players for their contributions to their favorite program. Tonight would be that night for LSU – if they had any seniors. Instead the Tigers’ rematch with Alabama (15-14, 4-10) will be the final home game for a team looking forward to a promising 2008-2009 season. “We have a good core group of guys coming back next year. [Injured junior forward] Tasmin [Mitchell] is going to be back, and we’ve got some good freshmen coming in,” said junior guard Garrett Temple. “We should put on a good show to show the fans that this is a team for the future.” Interim coach Butch Pierre was not willing to look ahead to next year – or even to tomorrow. “I don’t think we have room to look ahead,” Pierre said. “I don’t think we’ve been doing that.” The Tigers (12-16, 5-9) want to keep doing what they’ve been doing – particularly holding their past three opponents to an average of 54 points per game – as they look to extend a season-high, three-game winning streak tonight against the Crimson Tide. Alabama has lost five of its past seven games. Pierre was even more short-sighted at Monday’s practice with respect to the Tigers’ latest injury. Junior forward Quintin Thornton is day-to-day after injuring his knee in the first half Sunday against Georgia. Pierre thinks Thornton’s initial reaction to the injury may have been somewhat of an over-reaction. “It’s an old injury from junior college,” Pierre said. “I think he twisted it right at the end of the season, and that’s why I guess he was afraid when it happened.” Pierre also said Thornton’s availability will help the Tigers against junior forward Richard Hendrix. “Anytime [freshman forward] Anthony [Randolph] and [junior center] Chris [Johnson] can take a blow during the game, it helps on the wear and tear on those guys playing long minutes,” Pierre said. Hendrix averages 14 points and 10 rebounds per game, No. 4 and No. 1 in the Southeastern Conference, respectively. He scored 19 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the 81-72 victory against LSU on Feb. 2. Randolph and Johnson are determined not to let Alabama’s big man have a similar night in Baton Rouge. “We kind of take that personally,” Randolph said. “This game we’re going to stop that. That’s not going to happen this game because me and Chris have gotten better since the last time we played.”
Randolph scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the earlier meeting en route to his second of four SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Johnson scored 13 points but grabbed only four rebounds in his second game back from a broken hand. “I was a little self conscious of my hand and it being wrapped up,” Johnson said. Johnson has averaged 13 rebounds per game during the past two weeks. Despite all the attention Hendrix draws, LSU cannot afford to turn its back on the Crimson Tide perimeter players. Four Alabama guards – led by Mykal Riley’s 19 points – scored more than nine points in the teams’ first meeting. “It is difficult when you have so many guys you really can’t key on one guy,” Temple said. “They’re a very talented team top to bottom.” If LSU defeats Alabama, the Tigers will again tie Ole Miss for third place in the SEC West after the Rebels’ 81-72 victory against Arkansas on Tuesday night.
—-Contact Jerit Roser at [email protected]