If anyone can relate to the LSU men’s basketball team’s woes this season, it’s the team from a year ago.
Seven players remain from the 2009-10 squad, which lost 12-straight Southeastern Conference games.
This season’s team got closer to that mark in the final minutes of Wednesday’s game at Ole Miss, extending its SEC skid to seven games.
The Tigers’ (10-14, 2-7) unfortunate streak could be snapped Saturday afternoon against Arkansas. LSU beat the Razorbacks (14-9, 4-6), 56-53, in the PMAC on Jan. 12.
LSU’s travel plans were delayed in Oxford, Miss., because of snow. Instead of returning to Baton Rouge on Wednesday night, the Tigers took a bus to Memphis, Tenn., and then flew to Fayetteville, Ark., to begin preparing for Saturday’s 12:45 p.m. tipoff against the Razorbacks.
Johnson’s 2010-11 team has fallen by 18 points per defeat in the seven conference losses.
The past three games have been different, though. LSU lost to South Carolina, Mississippi State and Ole Miss by a five-point average.
The game against the Rebels on Wednesday was especially painful because the Tigers led, 49-41, at the 11:29 mark in the second half.
“It’s always hard to lose,” said LSU coach Trent Johnson. “The only positive in this is that for the first time … we’re as healthy as we’ve been in this losing streak.”
Freshman forward Jalen Courtney was the only player held back by an injury Wednesday. Courtney was out with a right knee problem.
Ole Miss scored six points in the final three minutes to win, 66-60, even though the Tigers shot 45.1 percent from the floor for the game. It was the first time since the first conference game against Auburn the team shot better than 40 percent.
One plus for the Tigers has been freshman guard Matt Derenbecker, who is coming off a career-high 19-point performance Wednesday.
“When he’s getting good shots in the rhythm of our offense, he’s developing in front of our eyes,” Johnson said. “I’m looking for him to be a complete player.”
The Tigers got the best of Arkansas in their first meeting. LSU held Razorback junior guard Rotnei Clarke, who usually averages 13 points per game, to five.
Arkansas and LSU sit fourth and fifth, respectively, in the SEC West standings.
Follow Michael Lambert on Twitter @TDR_Lambert.
 
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Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]