On Monday, the Southeastern Conference announced the LSU men’s basketball team’s game against Florida on Feb. 27 will start at 7:30 p.m., televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
Florida defeated LSU, 68-62, on Jan. 9, which was the Tigers’ first conference loss of the season. The Gators (16-9, 7-5 SEC) are tied with four other teams for fourth in the SEC but rank No. 31 in ESPN’s latest Ratings Percentage Index. 
Prior to the game, the statue of former LSU basketball star and Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer Bob Pettit will be unveiled. That news was previously announced in a news release on Feb. 8, confirming the commission of a Pete Maravich statue.
A specific time for Pettit’s statue presentation has not been determined, but the release states it will begin in the afternoon before the SEC matchup begins. The statue, which was commission on Dec. 11, will be located in front of the basketball practice complex, next to the new LSU gymnastics facility and near the statue of former LSU basketball great Shaquille O’Neal. 
Pettit, 83, joins O’Neal as living legends to have statues constructed on their behalf. In three seasons at LSU, Pettit was named an All-American twice and All-SEC performer three times. The Tigers won the SEC Championship twice while Petit wore purple and gold and reached the Final Four in the 1953. 
In the NBA, Pettit won the NBA MVP twice, NBA All-Star Game MVP four times and was a part of the 1958 NBA Championship team with the St. Louis Hawks. Among his many accolades, he was the first to score 20,000 points in the NBA.
Pettit was also the first former LSU student athlete to have his number retired, which occurred in 1954. 
“This is the greatest honor that could ever be bestowed on me,” Pettit said in the news release on Dec. 11. “It is great to be recognized at such a wonderful institution that has always held a very special place in my heart. I want to acknowledge all the individuals who have made this possible and give a special thanks to everyone that has helped me with all that I have accomplished in my life.”