The LSU men’s basketball team heads to Lexington, Kentucky for a Wednesday night 8 p.m. CT tilt with the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center.
The Tigers are 19-8 and in a bit of a logjam entering play this week with five teams tied for fifth in the league at 7-7. The Wildcats, No. 6 in the AP poll and No. 3 in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA Today Sports, is 22-5 and 11-3 after the 90-81 won over Alabama on Saturday.
LSU fell to South Carolina, 77-75, in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday as the Tigers were unable to sustain the six-minute game in the end with turnovers and missed free throws hurting their chances.
The game will be broadcast on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network with the Voice of the Tigers Chris Blair and former LSU head coach John Brady (Guaranty Media flagship affiliate in Baton Rouge is Eagle 98.1 FM). The telecast with Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes will be on ESPN.
This will be the second meeting of the Tigers and Wildcats with LSU scoring a 65-60 victory at the Maravich Center back on Jan. 4.
At that time, the Tigers held Kentucky to just 10 points over the final 13 minutes of the game and rallied from nine points down to win. The game was held on the newly dedicated Dale Brown Court in honor of the 25-year veteran of the SEC battles as head coach at LSU from 1972-97.
After hitting a bucket at the halftime buzzer, Kentucky continued on a 14-2 run that turned a five-point LSU lead into a seven-point Kentucky advantage. That lead reached nine, 50-41, with 13:36 to play.
LSU used an 11-0 run to get a brief 51-50 lead before Kentucky transitioned for a basket of their own to go up 52-51. The Tigers then scored 10 straight to lead 61-52 with 2:35 to play. LSU would finish the game on a 24-10 run.
Tari Eason led LSU with 13 points, while Xavier Pinson had 11 points, four assists and three steals. Brandon Murray had 10 points.
Kentucky is 16-0 at Rupp Arena this season. Oscar Tshiebwe is their leader, averaging 16.4 points and 15.2 rebounds, while TyTy Washington averages 12.4 points and 4.1 assists. Kellen Grady averages 12.3 points and Keon Brooks 11.3 points.
LSU returns home this Saturday for its next-to-last-home game as LSU hosts Missouri in a 7:30 p.m. contest at the Maravich Center.
I know he is just a freshman but Reid has not shown any skills thhat make him a 5 star recruit. He has more fouls than points, lends nothing to the offense or defense. Maybe with some experience he will be able to assist the basketball team! One can only hope!