Preview: LSU basketball will end the regular season against last-placed Missouri

LSU basketball wraps up its season this Saturday with a matchup against last-placed Missouri.

LSU (16-14, 8-9) is coming off a loss on the road to Arkansas. LSU’s defense struggled to slow down the Razorbacks’ offense that shot 60 percent from the field in the 94-83 loss. LSU must beat Missouri to not finish the season with a losing record in SEC play.

Missouri (8-22, 0-17) is coming off a loss where it gave up 101 points to No. 13 Auburn in its last home game of the season. Missouri has its last 17 games and 20 of its last 21. It sits in last place in the SEC standings and hasn’t won an SEC game since March 10, 2023.

Missouri’s offense is led by Sean East II who is averaging 17.6 points per game this season. East has scored 20 or more points in six straight games for the Tigers. Three other Missouri players are averaging over ten points per game. Missouri’s offense is 12th in the SEC in scoring with 72.3 points per game.

Noah Carter leads the team with 4.8 rebounds per game and East leads the team with 4.1 assists per game.

LSU’s offense is led by Jordan Wright who averages 15.2 points per game. Will Baker is the only other player averaging over ten points per game. Wright has led the team in scoring in each of the last three games.

Jalen Cook averages 15.6 points per game for LSU, but he is suspended from the team.

Wright also leads the team in rebounds with 5.1 per game and Trae Hannibal leads the team in assists with 3.0 per game. The LSU offense ranks seventh in the SEC scoring 76.6 points per game.

The LSU offense has struggled with turnovers this season and sits in last place in the SEC with 13.0 turnovers per game. Missouri is the fourth best team in the SEC at forcing turnovers with 12.8 per game, so holding on to the ball could be a major key for LSU in the matchup.

Missouri’s defense is 10th in the SEC allowing 76.3 points per game. It has allowed opponents to score 83 points or more in each of the last four games. Missouri is second to last in point differential in the SEC being outscored by four points per game. LSU outscores its opponents by 1.9 points per game.

LSU’s defense ranks eighth in the SEC and gives up 74.7 points per game to opponents. The 94 points the Tigers allowed last week was the most they had given up in a game since losing 109-92 to Alabama on Feb. 10.

Missouri has struggled this season with rebounding the ball. The Tigers average just 30.7 rebounds per game and 9.0 offensive rebounds per game, both dead last in the SEC. LSU sits ninth in the SEC with 35.7 rebounds per game and 10th with 10.5 offensive rebounds per game.

The game will start at 7:30 p.m. from the Pete Maravich Center and can be watched on the SEC Network.