Trent Johnson doesn’t sleep — he waits.The first-year LSU coach said he doesn’t “know or really even count” how much he sleeps in a given night. His best guess was “maybe two or three hours.”Between preparing LSU (19-4, 7-1) for its next game and feeding his basketball addiction, Johnson said he simply doesn’t have time to sleep. The former Nevada and Stanford coach said he often stays awake late into the night to watch Pac-10 and Mountain West Conference games. “I want to say 75 percent is preparing for the next opponent or the next game,” Johnson said. “But I’ll roll over and [think] ‘My goodness, it’s 11 o’clock here, and Stanford is playing Washington State on Fox,’ so obviously I’m going to watch all of that. [My wife] Jackie will wander in and say ‘Are you going to bed?’ and I’ll say ‘I’ll be in in a little bit.’ Next thing you know it’s morning.”When he’s not doing that, there is the fate of the Tigers’ men’s basketball program to worry about.”Coaches in general, we don’t sleep — we just alligator roll,” Johnson said. “You roll over, then you worry about the next play, and you roll over. It’s pretty appropriate for Louisiana isn’t it?”Johnson will have plenty to fret over this week. The Tigers face Mississippi State (16-7, 6-2) for a chance to take a two-game lead in the Southeastern Conference Western Division.Despite the long hours, Johnson said the Tigers’ upcoming schedule provides all the energy he needs.”How do I get energy? Losing,” Johnson said. “Honestly, the thought of not being prepared. There’s plenty enough time to rest for me when it’s all said and done. It’s not like my rest is a concern for me and my health.”TIP-OFF REMINDERAuburn’s upset of Tennessee (14-8, 5-3) on Saturday shoves tonight’s Florida-Kentucky showdown into a slightly brighter light. The Volunteers now have three conference losses, rendering their tie-breaker win against Florida moot for the moment. The Gators (19-4, 6-2) can claim second place in the SEC for themselves if they can escape Rupp Arena with a win. Kentucky (16-7, 5-3) is in shambles, dropping three straight SEC games after a 5-0 conference start. A win at home against Florida would force a three-way tie between Kentucky, Florida and South Carolina atop the SEC East.If Tennessee rebounds to beat winless Georgia (9-14, 0-8) on Wednesday night, that tie could become a logjam with four teams all posting 6-3 conference records.SCOUTING THE OTHER TIGERSBy now LSU has played every team in the SEC West but one. Auburn (14-9, 3-5) ended the first half of conference play on a high note, knocking off preseason favorite Tennessee at home. Auburn has a chance at its first winning streak since Jan. 3 on Wednesday against Arkansas. Auburn posted its best win of SEC play, 73-51, at Arkansas on Jan. 24.”They came in here and shot very well,” said Arkansas coach John Pelphrey. “[Auburn] Coach [Jeff] Lebo has done a good job. We’re going to put ourselves in the best position we can to give us a chance to win. If we have a good attitude and play within the framework of the team, we can overachieve.”
—-Contact David Helman at [email protected]