A reporter asked LSU head coach John Brady if it is hard to keep the team’s thoughts positive.
After all, in a season when many Tiger fans and media expected LSU to challenge for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, LSU is struggling in Southeastern Conference play, losing six of its last seven conference games and recording a 2-7 conference mark.
Add that to the fact that the Tigers (13-8, 2-7 SEC) lost at Auburn Saturday, 56-54, on a 3-point basket with 4.1 seconds remaining by Nathan Watson, a former walk-on who had not found the bottom of the net all day before the game winning shot.
But until tonight’s game against Vanderbilt (10-10, 3-6 SEC) at in the PMAC at 7 p.m., Brady insists the Tigers are keeping their heads up.
“I have never had a problem with our team’s approach and what they are trying to do,” Brady said. “There is nothing that I can detect. We know where we are, and we know what we need to do to get better, and that is all we try to do. But our team is fine, practice has been good, and we are looking forward to playing the game.”
Senior forward Brad Bridgewater admits the losing has been tough, especially in his senior season, but said he and his teammates plan to continue to keep fighting.
      “[Losing] is tough whether you are a senior or not,” Bridgewater said. “But I just think we want to go out with a bang. We want people to remember our senior class as doing something big. [Losing] is kind of tough, but we just have to keep on playing, keep thinking positive and just keep on trying to make it a good season.”
Much of the Tigers’ efforts tonight will go toward stopping Commodores 6-foot-9 junior forward Matt Freije, who averages 17.7 points per game and is third in the conference in scoring. He also had made 43 3-pointers on the season.
“[Freije] is good all around,” Brady said. “He is shooting about 40 percent from the 3-point line, and he can play inside and outside. We are going to let Ronald Dupree start on him and see how that goes. But he is an all-league player, and we need to make somebody else score baskets besides him.”
The Commodores are coming off what head coach Kevin Stallings called one of their worst efforts of the year, falling to South Carolina Wednesday, 84-72, at home. They have struggled mightily away from Nashville, going 0-7 on the road. But they did defeat Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss at home, all teams that LSU lost to.
Dupree continues to lead LSU in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per contest.
Sophomore Xavier Whipple will receive his third straight start after playing his most extensive minutes to date against Auburn, logging 31 minutes and scoring four points and dishing out four assists.
Note: Senior guard Collis Temple was out of practice Tuesday with the flu and Brady said if he is not well enough to play, sophomore guard Antonio Hudson will start in his place.