LSU plays its final road game of the regular season Wednesday night when it travels to one of the toughest crowd environments in college basketball, Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, to take on the nationally-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks.
A capacity crowd is expected for the Razorbacks final home game as the Tigers look to prevent an Arkansas sweep in the home-and-home series since 2017.
The game is set for an 8 p.m. tipoff on the LSU Sports Radio Network with the Voice of the Tigers Chris Blair and former LSU head coach John Brady on the call (Guaranty Media flagship Eagle98.1 FM in Baton Rouge) and on ESPN2 with Tom Hart and Jimmy Dykes.
LSU won its 20th game of the season on Saturday night in a 75-55 win over Missouri in Baton Rouge. The win marked the third time in Will Wade’s five years that LSU has won 20 games or more during the season. IT was a game in which LSU was able to reestablish its defensive identity while make the shots at the free throw line and from the field that allowed the Tigers to set its defense that features the nation’s number team in steals average.
Arkansas is 23-6 overall and ranked tied for 14th in the AP poll and 15th in the Coaches poll. The Razorbacks are 12-4 overall after a win over Kentucky on Saturday at home and has received a double bye in the SEC Tournament, plus is also just one game out of first place in the league.
LSU’s seeding position is a little more tenuous entering the final week of the regular season standing in a four-way tie for sixth place at 8-8 with Florida, South Carolina and Mississippi State. Alabama is one game ahead in fifth.
The SEC Tournament starts a week from Wednesday (March 9) in Tampa, Florida at the Amalie Center.
Arkansas won the first meeting in Baton Rouge on Jan. 15 with a late closing flourish. LSU had an eight points advantage (56-48) with 9:01 to play but LSU would score just two points the rest of the way in a 65-58 Razorback win. Arkansas went on a 10-0 run to take a 58-56 lead with 3:31 to play. But LSU would tie the game at the 2:16 mark.
Arkansas would score the final seven points of the game to get the win.
Eric Gaines, in his second start in place of a then injured Xavier Pinson had 14 points and four assists while Tari Eason had 13 points for LSU. Alex Fudge also had 13 points.
JD Notae, the SEC Player of the Week, leads Arkansas, averaging 19.1 points a game and 3.6 assists. Stanley Umude averaging 11.2 points with Jaylin Williams at 10.6 points and Au’Diese Toney at 10. 1 per game.
In the Missouri win, in which LSU scored the first 15 points of the second half to bust open the game, Eason led LSU with 18 points while Brandon Murray had 11 points and Darius Days and Pinson each had 10 points.
LSU closes out the regular season on Saturday at home against Alabama. The game is set for 11 a.m. with senior tribute ceremonies to begin at approximately 10:40 a.m.
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