LSU freshman forward Ben Simmons sometimes talks about interactions with cultural icons like LeBron James and Drake as if they’re nothing special, even if he has an admiration for both.
But when President Barack Obama, a noted basketball fan, gave Simmons a nod at a speaking engagement Thursday at McKinley Senior High School in Baton Rouge, that moment was something completely different.
“It’s an amazing feeling because I’ve worked so hard to get where I am,” Simmons said. “For somebody like him to recognize that and give me some props for that, it’s awesome. It’s surreal.”
While Simmons received the presidential treatment following the Tigers’ 90-81 comeback victory against Ole Miss, a hot Arkansas team will roll into the PMAC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday with other plans.
Despite a 6-6 nonconference record and a 23-point loss to Texas A&M to open Southeastern Conference play, the Razorbacks (9-7, 3-1 SEC) have won three straight contests, including a 33-point win against Missouri on Tuesday.
Under fifth-year coach Mike Anderson, Arkansas still employs its trademark “Fastest 40 Minutes” philosophy, highlighted by a trapping, full-court pressure.
“Guys have to understand how to get to the open area when guys are being trapped and making plays because they’re fast and strong,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones. “They’re going to force you to do some things you don’t normally do. If you are worried so much about structure, you’re going to get hurt. Guys are going to have to make basketball plays against that type of pressure and the way that they play.”
Although the Razorbacks lost their top-three scorers from last year’s NCAA tournament team, including 2015 first-round draft pick Bobby Portis, junior forward Moses Kingsley has been the Razorbacks’ catalyst this season. After just four total starts last season, he now averages team-high 17.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.
Along with Kingsley, senior guard Anthlon Bell and junior guard Dusty Hannahs are lethal threats from the perimeter, each knocking down more than 45 percent of their three pointers on the year.
Kingsley will likely attract much of the Tigers’ attention, which sophomore forward Craig Victor II is more than ready for.
“I take pride in my defense,” Victor said. “That’s something I take very seriously. I’m going to go back to the drawing board before and do what I do. I don’t slack off any game when it comes to defense. I’m going to guard him the same way I guard anybody else.”
On Wednesday against the Rebels, LSU’s defensive pressure had little success against Ole Miss senior guard Stefan Moody. The 5-foot-11 point guard torched the Tigers for 33 points on 6-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc, giving the Rebels the lead for 27 minutes of the contest.
But Moody couldn’t will his team to victory late in the second half behind the performances of two unlikely Tiger reserves.
With freshman guard Antonio Blakeney and junior guard Tim Quarterman coming off the bench for just the first and second times, respectively, the guard duo energized a sleepy LSU offense to the tune of 20 of the final 26 points from the team.
For Quarterman, the move to the bench didn’t faze him.
“Coach made a decision,” Quarterman said. “As players, we have to go with what he said because he’s the general. So, we just got to go out there and just make the best of our opportunities that he gives out there on the floor.”