BATON ROUGE — The LSU men’s basketball team puts its first national ranking in more than six years on the line Wednesday night when the Tigers host Alabama in the 2000 Southeastern Conference opener.
The game is set for 7 p.m. at the Maravich Assembly Center. Tickets for the game will be sold from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the LSU Athletic Ticket Office and beginning at 5 p.m. at the Assembly Center box office. Tickets can be ordered in advance by phone before 5 p.m. at 225-388-2184.
The Tigers were given the 21st slot in the Associated Press poll after defeating 11th ranked Oklahoma State, 63-53, last Thursday in the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans. It is LSU’s first ranking in the national poll since December 1993.
The Tigers are 12-0, but will be a little on the short side in numbers come the SEC opener as they Tigers try to end a four-game SEC opening night losing streak. Jermaine Williams, who sprained a knee in the Howard game, and Collis Temple III, who sprained an ankle in practice Monday, are listed as questionable to dress for the game on Wednesday.
Alabama enters with a 7-5 record, coming off a split in the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tucson, Ariz. The Tide lost to Delaware, 76-66, in the first round and then won the consolation game with North Carolina Wilmington, 62-45. Schea Cotton led Alabama in the Delaware game with 19 points, while Terrance Meade had the same point total to lead the Tide against UNCW.
Mark Gottfried’s club is young, starting four freshman and one sophomore and will miss Jeremy Hayes who is out after tearing an ACL in early December. Schea is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 14.3 points per game.
LSU will go with its normal starting lineup of Torris Bright and Lamont Roland at guard, Stromile Swift and Brian Beshara at forwards and Jabari Smith at center. Swift is second in the league in scoring at 19.5 points per game. All five starters for the Tigers hit in double figure scoring averages per game.
LSU returns to action after the Wednesday game on Saturday when it hosts 15th-ranked Tennessee at 7 p.m. at the Maravich Assembly Center.