Javonte Smart loves the state of Louisiana and LSU, and Saturday morning he gave his all for both as he stepped up with 29 points and two game-winning free throws to push the Tigers ahead of No. 5 Tennessee with start point guard Tremont Waters out with an illness.  
“He’s everything we’re about as a program,” said LSU coach Will Wade. “He’s from Louisiana. He loves LSU. There’s no doubt he was making those two free throws. I love his hustle, his grit. 
“Javonte was phenomenal. I told someone before the game — it won’t be as aesthetically pleasing, but he’s going to get the job done.”
The freshman point guard said the team shot hundreds of free throws in practice yesterday and he didn’t miss one. 
“Practice makes perfect, so I just went up to the free throw line with a lot of confidence,” Smart said. 
Smart had been coming off the bench for most of the season, averaging 13.2 points per game. Today, Smart lead all scorers with 29 points. He was also 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. 
“I just had a lot of fun,” Smart said. “I just had a lot of fun. Determined to win. Just wanted to get that win under our belt. That’s the way we’re build so we just push forward.”
The team found out Waters wouldn’t be playing at the 7 a.m. practice on Saturday. Wade said that even though it might not be as aesthetically pleasing without Waters, he knew Smart could get the job done. 
“Any time there’s an big game, he’s been spades for us,” Wade said.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said it might have been harder for his team to play without Waters since the game plan accounted for him.
“We weren’t [taken aback],” Barnes also said. “We told our team they never thought they were a one-man team coming in. We had a great scouting report on him too and we thought he was very important coming in. We knew they had guard with the ability to beat you off the dribble. I don’t think we were surprised, we expected him to have a great game.”
After shooting just 2-for-7 from the field when LSU trailed 36-31 at halftime, Smart came out in the second half and dominated off the dribble to put up 20 in the second and overtime combined. 
He went on an 11-0 run by himself at one point late in the second half. 
“Coach said ‘just keep attacking,'” Smart said. “Sometimes I was settling for the three-ball. I just kept attacking. Skylar [Mays] started it off, and I just kept on pushing.”
Smart and Mays only sat one minute between them through all of regulation and overtime. Mays had the second-most points on the team with 23. 
“That’s my guy,” said Mays, who is also a Baton Rouge native. “I’ve known him for a long time and it’s great to see him grow. I always knew he was a special player and I knew he was going to have a great game today. He always shows in big time moments. I’m just so proud of him.” 

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Mitchell Scaglione

LSU freshman guard Ja'vonte Smart (1) celebrates after the Tigers 82-80 victory over Tennesse on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.