The LSU men’s basketball team doesn’t have to wait long to move past its first home loss against a Louisiana team since 1988.
LSU (1-1) hosts Tennessee-Martin (2-0) tonight in the PMAC just two days after falling 62-53 to Nicholls State on Tuesday night.
“It was definitely a wake-up call,” said freshman guard Andre Stringer. “I wouldn’t say we took that team lightly. They’re a great team. I just feel like we came out flat.”
The Tigers are shooting 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range this season but have 18 more turnovers and 18 fewer offensive rebounds than their first two opponents.
LSU coach Trent Johnson said it bothers him that the only players with more assists than turnovers — guards Andre Stringer and Ralston Turner — are both freshmen.
“The majority of our turnovers, the majority of our breakdowns defensively, are coming from guys who have been in the program two or three years,” Johnson said.
Johnson said veterans could see their minutes dwindle if they don’t show more intensity and play better defense.
“When guys don’t start to put a maximum effort in terms of trying to put a body on some guys and go rebound and react to the ball, all those little things that are driven with your heart and your head, then I’ll try somebody else,” he said.
Stringer said LSU has to figure out how to limit its turnovers. UT-Martin forced 41 combined turnovers in wins against Centenary and MacMurray colleges.
“You can’t beat a team if you don’t rebound and you don’t take care of the ball,” Stringer said.
The Tigers haven’t lost to the Skyhawks in three previous matchups. Sophomore guard Aaron Dotson said it’s essential LSU turns its season around tonight.
“We’ve got some tough games coming up, so we’ve got to get this win,” Dotson said.
Junior forward Malcolm White played only 10 minutes against Nicholls State after getting in early foul trouble and has only six rebounds this season.
White said at times he feels he can’t play physically or he’ll get in foul trouble.
“It’s frustrating because I’m a physical guy, and I feed off my energy when I play,” White said.
Nicholls State didn’t have a player listed over 6 feet 6 inches. UT-Martin’s probable center is 6-foot-9-inch sophomore Ron Spencer.
“I’m looking forward to being down low in the block defending,” White said. “I’m not too comfortable running around guarding smaller guys.”
 
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Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]