LSU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt McMahon spoke with the media Thursday afternoon ahead of a pivotal game against the Georgia Bulldogs.

The Tigers are coming off of a season-saving win Saturday against the South Carolina Gamecocks in an overtime thriller. The Bayou Bengals lost to this squad earlier in the season, but Coach McMahon believes the outcome was different due to the defensive tenacity his team played with.

“I thought Mike [Nwoko] did a really good job taking away his [Elijah Strong] threes.” Strong torched the Tigers in their first matchup starting 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. McMahon also added that the switches his team made were effective and caused several problems for the Gamecock’s offense.

In this game, the Tigers once more were without their starting point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. The lead guard’s status for Saturday’s game is again in jeopardy as he reinjured his foot. However, Coach McMahon was adamant that the guard is very anxious to get back on the hardwood.

“He is doing everything in his power to be on the floor. He wants to help his team whether it is 10 minutes a game or 30.”

If Thomas Jr. is not able to suit up Saturday against Georgia, expect a heavy dose of Rashad King and Max MacKinnon offensively.

For the defensive side, forward Pablo Tamba will be the catalyst as Georgia “plays at an incredible pace,” according to Coach McMahon, with plenty of perimeter threats.

If the Tigers want to pick up their third win in SEC play, guarding the perimeter is essential as Georgia can strike lighting in a bottle.