GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The LSU Tigers basketball team looks to find that 40 minutes of basketball that will result in a Southeastern Conference win. The task doesn’t become easier as they travel here Saturday night to face a University of Florida team that is also looking for its first league win as well.
The Tigers and Gators meet at 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST) at the O’Connell Center in a game to be regionally televised on FSN. The game will also be available on the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network (New Country 100.7 FM The Tiger in Baton Rouge) and in the Geaux Zone at LSUsports.net.
Florida is 11-5 overall and 0-2 in the league after losses at Vanderbilt and at home Tuesday night to Kentucky, while LSU is 9-7 and 0-2 in the SEC after losing at home to Alabama and then falling to South Carolina, 67-58, in Columbia in a game in which the Gamecocks used a 17-1 run to wrest the lead away from the Tigers in the final eight minutes.
For about 30 minutes (Thursday),” said LSU Coach Trent Johnson. “I thought we played well and handled pressure. The tempo and things of that nature were to our liking. I like the way we started the game mentally in terms of our approach and sense of urgency in getting back on defense where it was a zone or a man. It started earlier in the second half where we got careless with the ball and didn’t attack the press like we’d done in the first half. We have to build on it from the standpoint of the first 25 or 30 minutes. We have to come out with the same mental approach.”
Storm Warren had a big game for LSU with 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting overall and 5-of-6 at the free throw line to go with three blocks and two steals. Bo Spencer had 14 points and Tasmin Mitchell had 13. LSU shot 54.5 percent in the first half but hit just 9-of-22 shots in the second 20 minutes, turned the ball over 10 times and more alarmingly was 4-of-10 from the free throw line in the final half and 15-of-26 for the game.
LSU has had success with Florida in the past, winning six of the last eight games in the series, including two wins in the O’Connell Center.
“Florida, contrary to what I usually do, I watched them play Kentucky,” said Johnson. “I was sitting in my hotel (in Columbia) and watched them play. They are talented, and this is the same group with the exception of Nick Calathes last year that we really struggled to beat here. They cause a lot of problems with their length, skill and match-up zones. They have ability to stretch. (Chandler)Parsons and (Dan) Werner seem like they have been there forever. (Vernon)Macklin is a man. (Kenny)Boynton is not a freshman. He is talented, skilled and leading them in scoring. (Erving) Walker is quick. They cause a lot of the problems Alabama did, and probably more so because of their talent, skill level and size, but again, it’s almost like we are moving up in class every step of the way in terms of pressure. They are very talented. I like Florida as much as I like anyone, and obviously it’s because of what they return. It should be a supreme challenge, but something, contrary to what your record is and how you feel, you have to find a way to get yourself up and ready to play.”
The Tigers will return home for a game next Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Maravich Assembly Center against Auburn.
Trent Johnson‘s Media Session
January 14, 2010
LSU HEAD COACH TRENT JOHNSON QUOTES
Opening statement …
“For about 30 minutes last night, I thought we played well and handled pressure. The tempo and things of that nature were to our liking. I like the way we started the game mentally in terms of our approach and sense of urgency in getting back on defense whether it was a zone or a man. It started earlier in the second half where we got careless with the ball and didn’t attack the press like we’d done in the first half. Then, we started going a little fast, which is what South Carolina wants, and anyone that plays us through the league wants. We had some forced turnovers, and when you look at it, we had the ball in the guy’s hands that we wanted it in the second half in key situations, whether it was Tasmin (Mitchell) or Bo (Spencer) from the free throw line or post. We just didn’t make a basket here or there, and then, Devin Downing, who will probably have an opportunity to play after college, was matched up against a sophomore in Chris Bass. He managed to make some plays. We have to build on it from the standpoint of the first 25 or 30 minutes. We have to come out with the same mental approach.”
On what they did against South Carolina that worked …
“We slowed the tempo down and forced them to make more passes and play on the perimeter. Obviously, they shot well, but the big problem you have with the zone is that you are unable to put a body on the people you want to block out. When you are limited in your athletic ability and quickness to the ball like we are and you look at the time we are in the zone, for us, we are going to have to play zone and play a sagging man. We have to continue to sprint back. The thing we are doing better now is that we are really making a concerted effort, which is hard for this group in terms of their mental toughness. They showed some last night in terms of being mentally and physically tough. They sprinted back and got to the ball and were talking. It’s a process, and one that is taking its toll on a lot of people, but we have to continue to grind.”
On what went wrong…
“There were bad decisions in the second half … It is easy to sit up here, talk about it, practice it and get them understand that coming out of the first half, we had eight assists, five turnovers. They were really ready to go in terms of South Carolina. I looked at the first five minutes and all we had to do was stay the course, but we got caught up trying to go too fast, and you forget what got you there. For this team, it’s one or two spurts, and then the inability to score puts a lot of pressure on the kids. Then, I’m here telling them to stay the course and worry about each possession and trying to get better.”
On getting ready for Florida …
“Florida, contrary to what I usually do, I watched them play Kentucky. I was sitting in my hotel and watched them play. They are talented, and this is the same group with the exception of Nick Calathes last year that we really struggled to beat here l. The reason we beat them last year is because Marcus (Thornton) put us on his back and made a lot of shots and plays. They cause a lot of problems with their length, skill and match-up zones. They have ability to stretch. (Chandler)Parsons and (Dan) Werner seem like they have been there forever. (Vernon)Macklin is a man. (Kenny)Boynton is not a freshman. He is talented, skilled and leading them in scoring. (Erving) Walker is quick. They cause a lot of the problems Alabama did, and probably more so because of their talent, skill level and size, but again, it’s almost like we are moving up in class every step of the way in terms of pressure. They are very talented. I like Florida as much as I like anyone, and obviously it’s because of what they return. It should be a supreme challenge, but something, contrary to what your record is and how you feel, you have to find a way to get yourself up and ready to play.”