LSU basketball players met with the media Monday evening ahead of their trip to St. Louis for the SEC Tournament. The tournament begins Wednesday with the bottom four teams from the conference tipping off and culminates Sunday with the winner of the tournament final punching its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. 
Read: LSU Basketball finishes tenth in SEC, secures single bye in conference tournament
The Tigers, like several of their SEC counterparts who did not have the kind of regular season they would have liked, will have the opportunity to control their own fate, as conference tournaments allow every team a chance to earn a spot in March Madness, regardless of how the team performed in the regular season.
While LSU is poised to make a run in St. Louis, the team is not losing sight of what is right in front of them: a rematch with Mississippi State. As senior forward Duop Reath emphasized, the Tigers cannot afford to take for granted their second matchup with the Bulldogs in six days. “We’ve got to come out with more energy and play even harder; we can’t come out with the same energy [as last time],” Reath said.
Despite the shortcomings of the season, the Tigers are not quick to count themselves out, but instead are embracing the new life that the postseason brings. “It’s just good to know that you have a chance, especially coming in against a team that you played well against,” sophomore guard Skylar Mays said.
Watch: LSU confident for SEC tournament, matchup against Miss. St
The Tigers tip off against Mississippi State Thursday at 6 p.m. CST from the Scottrade Center.