Spring football practice is starting around the country and drawing attention away from college basketball teams – particularly in football towns like Baton Rouge and Athens, Ga. But the Tigers are starting to give their fans a reason to stick around despite a frustrating overall season. LSU (11-16, 4-9) takes a two-game win streak into their home game against Georgia (12-14, 3-10) on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Tigers are working to continue climbing the ladder in the Southeastern Conference Western Division. The Tigers pounced into a four-way tie for third place with a win on Wednesday at South Carolina and now face an SEC opponent with fewer conference wins for the first time this season. While Georgia enters the weekend losing nine of its past 10 games, LSU interim coach Butch Pierre is not taking the matchup lightly. “Georgia has been playing up and down, but [Georgia coach] Dennis [Felton] will have his team ready to play,” Pierre said. “Obviously, we’ll have to do a good job on [Georgia senior guard Sundiata] Gaines.” Gaines, one of only two Bulldogs seniors, has carried much of the load this season, leading Georgia in four of the five major statistical categories. The Jamaica, N.Y., native leads the Bulldogs, averaging 15.1 points, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. His assists and steals numbers are No. 6 and No. 5 in the SEC, respectively. Gaines also leads Georgia in rebounding with 6.5 boards per game despite his 6-foot-1-inch stature. The preseason All-SEC guard is one of only two SEC guards to lead his team in rebounding. The other is Arkansas sophomore Patrick Beverley. LSU junior guard Garrett Temple will likely be called upon to contain Gaines after shutting down leading scorers Chris Warren of Ole Miss and Devan Downey of South Carolina in consecutive games. The Baton Rouge native held Warren, who averages 16 points per game, to eight points in the PMAC a week ago and Downey, who averages 19 points per game, to six points in South Carolina on Wednesday. Pierre attributes much of the Tigers’ recent success to Temple’s presence and performance. “With the leadership of Garrett Temple and the way he’s been playing, I think guys are kind of feeding off of him,” Pierre said. Felton’s biggest concerns lie closer to the basket with LSU junior center Chris Johnson and freshman forward Anthony Randolph. “Randolph and Johnson are a lot to deal with at both ends,” Felton said. “[Johnson and Randolph are] so tall and athletic that they’re anchoring a defense that’s always been tough.” Randolph and Johnson are the second-leading shot-blocking tandem in the SEC behind Mississippi State forward-centers Jarvis Varnado and Charles Rhodes. Randolph and Johnson are No. 2 and No. 3 in the conference, trailing only Varnado, the nation’s leader in rejections.
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