Two of the Southeastern Conference’s most struggling teams battle for their first conference win at 7 p.m. when LSU hosts Auburn in the PMAC.
In the first game of the spring semester, both teams can turn things around by ending their respective losing streaks.
The winner of the matchup will have to overcome key player losses to prove themselves as the night’s top cats.
After encountering injury woes for much of the season, the latest hit to the LSU(7-9, 0-2) line up comes in the form of academic inelgibility for senior guard Dameon Mason.
Mason sat out multiple games while enrolled in wintersesson classes, and now LSU has to finish the season without its only senior – barring a potential appeal.
“[Mason] provided leadership for us, and also he was very unselfish after starting at Marquette for a year and a half and coming off the bench most of his career here,” said junior guard Garrett Temple. “That shows his unselfishness, but also his willingness to win and his willingness to be a great teammate.”
LSU has played without junior forward Tasmin Mitchell since the team’s third game of the season and is still winless since losing junior center Chris Johnson to a hand injury at Tulane on Jan. 2.
“Now with everything that’s happened to this team and every punch that it has taken in terms of its personnel, I think now at least you settle into a group of seven or eight scholarship guys,” said LSU coach John Brady. “That’s our team. Maybe they’re settled, and we know who’s here and who’s not here.”
LSU has dropped five consecutive games and started SEC play 0-2 since junior guard Marcus Thornton led the team past Oregon State on Dec. 22.
Brady said the psychological frustration that comes with losing could increase as more time passes.
“I try not to let that be the case, but I think that’s legitimate that [psychological frustration] could crop in – particularly if we don’t get it done Wednesday,” Brady said. “You start looking around and [thinking] ‘Where’s it going to happen?'”
Tonight might be the Tigers’ best chance to get back on track.
LSU played arguably its best game without Johnson in this past weekend’s 74-71 road loss to No. 18 Ole Miss.
The Tigers outscored the Rebels, 42-31, in the second half but ran out of time after letting Ole Miss jump out to a 14-point lead in the game’s first 20 minutes.
LSU is expected to start the five players who helped spark that comeback: Temple, junior guard Marcus Thornton, sophomore guard Alex Farrer, freshman forward Anthony Randolph and junior forward Quintin Thornton.
“The offense flows pretty well with that team,” Temple said. “And guys on that team, the roles are more defined for us.”
Auburn (9-5, 0-2) visits the PMAC with a chance to rebound from a three-game skid of its own after losing junior forward Korvotney Barber to a broken hand.
“For our team, [Barber’s injury] is heartbreaking, and I feel for them,” Auburn coach Jeff Lebo told ESPN after the injury. “Obviously, it is an unbelievably difficult situation.”
Barber, the nation’s leader in field goal percentage, leads his team with 72 percent shooting from the field, 6.9 rebounds per game, and 1.3 blocks per game.
Barber also averages 13.8 points per game – good enough for third on the team behind senior forward Quan Prowell and junior guard Rasheem Barrett, who both average 14 points per game.
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Contact Jerit Roser at [email protected]