COLUMBUS, Ohio — The LSU men’s basketball team tries to get back on the winning track Saturday when it faces Ohio State University in a New Year’s Eve clash at the Value City Arena.
Tipoff for the game is Noon CST and the contest will be televised on ESPN Plus and ESPNU. The radio broadcast of the contest will be available on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network (Eagle 98.1 FM in Baton Rouge) and in the Geaux Zone at LSUsports.net.
The Tigers hope they can duplicate some of the magic they showed in last year’s first meeting with the Buckeyes (Jan. 15, 2005) when LSU came out on the top end of a 113-101 double overtime decision, outscoring Ohio State, 20-8, in the second overtime. Darrel Mitchell had 32 points in the game, but LSU will not have Brandon Bass (29 points, 10 rebounds), Antonio Hudson (20 pts) and Tack Minor (17 points-10 assists) as options in the contest.
Bass, of course, is now a member of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets of the NBA, Hudson was a senior and Minor underwent successful surgery on Thursday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee suffered in the Dec. 23 loss to Cincinnati (75-72).
The Tigers are 7-3 on the season, while Ohio State, under second year coach Thad Matta, has gotten off to a 9-0 start.
Je’Kel Foster, who scored 20 points in the loss last year in Baton Rouge, leads the Buckeyes averaging 17.0 points per game. He has an impressive 68 percent field goal percentage (51-of-75), including 28-of-47 from three-point range. One of the Big Ten’s top big men, Terence Dials (6-9, 260), is averaging 13.7 points and 7.0 rebounds a game. J. J. Sullinger, who played at Arkansas as a freshman a few years ago, is averaging 10.2 points and a team high 8.1 rebounds.
LSU is expected to put out on the floor the same lineup it used against Cincinnati with Darrel Mitchell and Ben Voogd at the guards and Glen Davis, Tasmin Mitchell and Tyrus Thomas at the forwards with Garrett Temple, Magnum Rolle and Darnell Lazare coming off the bench. Mitchell has continued to be rock solid for the Tigers, scoring in double figures in every game and Thomas’ move to the starting lineup didn’t hurt his output as he posted his sixth double double of the season against Cincinnati.
LSU will be looking to pull off a second consecutive upset on the home floor of a ranked opponent after beating No. 13 West Virginia in overtime in November. Ohio State comes into the game ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press poll. LSU has won three consecutive games against ranked opponents dating back to last year.
Following the Ohio State game, LSU returns home for a Tuesday night 7 p.m. date with Tulane at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. To commemorate the first men’s game of the new year, 2006, all 300-level seats in the building will be on sale for $6.