BATON ROUGE – The LSU Tigers hope to take the near game-long effort they displayed last Saturday at Vanderbilt and put it to use Saturday when they host Mississippi State in a 3 p.m. game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Tigers and Bulldogs game will be televised on the over-the-air SEC Network (WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge) and over the affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network (New Country 100.7 FM The Tiger in Baton Rouge) and in the GeauxZone at LSUsports.net.
Tickets are available online at LSUsports.net and at the upper concourse ticket windows of the Maravich Center beginning at 1:30 p.m. LSU students are admitted free of charge with a valid student ID and the Acme Oyster House Student Lounge will be open prior to the game.
The first 4,000 fans in attendance will receive a coupon to receive a twin-pack of Coca-Cola products including Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Sprite and Dr. Pepper that can be picked up following the game in the area between the entrance ramps by Mike The Tiger’s habitat.
The Tigers (9-16, 0-11), have had a week to prepare for State (18-8, 6-5) after the 77-69 loss to Vanderbilt that the Commodores were finally able to break open with a 9-2 run when the game was tied at 59-59 with four minutes to play. But Coach Trent Johnson saw things that pleased him, especially with the way some of his young forward competed.
“Well I was encouraged by the play from our whole team from the standpoint of going into Vanderbilt and competing at a high level,” he said. “Obviously I made the comment immediately after the game that I thought Dennis Harris and Garrett Green played well. Dennis for the first time since he has been in college pushed himself. He pushed himself through a four or five minute time period there where he was exhausted, and then there was a TV timeout and he was breathing heavy and I told him that is what it feels like. He was able to make some plays in that environment and obviously Garrett made some plays and was physical and he played through some fatigue. Honestly I think Garrett had some great passes and Tasmin did a good job of making him better because he scored not in traffic. There wasn’t any contact around, but on the defensive side he was physical and that is what I was impressed with. For him and Dennis to hold up physically on the road and compete without giving in is a good start. Now it remains to be seen if we can put that back to back and that is what I have addressed with them in the short periods we have practiced.”
State best the Tigers in their first meeting on Jan. 30 in Starkville by a 67-51 count. But LSU was able to stay with a chance to close the margin but shot just 34 percent in the game.
“There were periods in that game where I thought we were pretty good and then there were periods where we weren’t very good, but a lot of it had to do was Jarvis Varnado being a good player and not us being out of position,” said Johnson. “I think they feel good about knowing that if we play like we are capable of from an intensity standpoint we have a chance to win.”
Tasmin Mitchell continues to lead the Tigers with an average of 17.3 points per game and 9.6 rebounds a contest. His scoring average is second in the league while his rebound average is third. His first rebound in the game Saturday will mark his 900th career board and he enters the final minimum six games of his LSU career 99 points shy of becoming the third player in LSU history to score 2,000 career points.
State is led by Varnado who has blocked more than 500 shots in his career and is averaging 11.6 points and 11.4 rebounds. Ravern Johnson, averaging 12.4 points a game, is expected back in the lineup after being suspended for Tuesday’s loss at home against Kentucky.
Following this game, LSU will stay at home and host Arkansas next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Basketball Press Conference
February 18, 2010
LSU HEAD COACH TRENT JOHNSON
Opening Statement …
“From an injury standpoint, Bo Spencer practiced yesterday and he looked probably about 70 percent. I think if he continues to make progress he will play Saturday. Aaron Dotson has been having a hard time breathing so we had some people look at him and he has chest inflammation of the lungs so he did not practice yesterday and we will hold him out today. Other than that Storm really benefitted from the two days off. He looked fresh and looked like he had his bounce back in terms of his legs and his explosiveness.
“We went pretty hard yesterday. Tuesday we had an optional shoot-around where the kids could come in and shoot if they wanted. Monday we had a full scale practice so we are in a pretty good situation in terms of our health with the exception of Aaron Dotson and Bo Spencer, but I think at this time of year pretty much everyone is banged up or has some sort of injury bug throughout their roster. Aaron’s is a concern to me because anytime you have some chest pains because that needs to be dealt with delicately.”
On how impressed he was with the team’s performance at Vanderbilt …
“Well I was encouraged by the play from our whole team from the standpoint of going into Vanderbilt and competing at a high level. Obviously I made the comment immediately after the game that I thought Dennis Harris and Garrett Green played well. Dennis for the first time since he has been in college pushed himself. He pushed himself through a four or five minute time period there where he was exhausted, and then there was a TV timeout and he was breathing heavy and I told him that is what it feels like. He was able to make some plays in that environment and obviously Garrett made some plays and was physical and he played through some fatigue. Honestly I think Garrett had some great passes and Tasmin did a good job of making him better because he scored not in traffic. There wasn’t any contact around, but on the defensive side he was physical and that is what I was impressed with. For him and Dennis to hold up physically on the road and compete without giving in is a good start. Now it remains to be seen if we can put that back to back and that is what I have addressed with them in the short periods we have practiced.”
On how much he will draw on the previous game against Mississippi State …
“Well we always go back and watch the defensive breakdowns on our previous opponents. Basically what we did yesterday was go back and look at the defensive breakdown. There were periods in that game where I thought we were pretty good and then there were periods where we weren’t very good, but a lot of it had to do was Jarvis Varnado being a good player and not us being out of position. I think they feel good about knowing that if we play like we are capable of from an intensity standpoint we have a chance to win. Offensively it is going to be the same thing from us. I don’t expect them to do anything differently than they did last time. Guys like Storm Warren, Eddie Ludwig, and Aaron Dotson have to prove they can knock down an open shot consistently. We certainly had our share of those up in Starkville.”
On if he was surprised that the team hasn’t shot 50 percent from the field in an SEC game this year …
“Yeah, especially considering as much as the coaching staff and I watch tape and show tape to the kids and they see how many guys are left open. There is an old adage in basketball that the hardest shot is shooting the uncontested shot over and over again. We have had our share of open looks and a lot of it has to do with guys being tentative and not being confident, but we are going to continue to do the same things we have done. We are going to continue to tell them to be aggressive.”
On what the team needs to do to get their first SEC win …
“Well what I have told them the last two days is basically we have to do a couple things really well. We are going to have to rebound the ball and limit their transition opportunities, those are the first two things. Then obviously we have to not get caught up in anything else other than us trying to execute and get better to build off of what happened at Vanderbilt. That is pretty much it. I think for this group, it is the end of the year and we have five games to go before the SEC tournament, and we are all aware of what we have to do and need to do. This is the second time around against Mississippi State, and they are coming off a tough loss to Kentucky and they are going to be desperate because they are a bubble team. We are just all about trying to get better.”
On how much Eddie Ludwig has benefitted from not redshirting …
“Eddie knew what he was getting into because have is a bright kid. I just have to believe that when this is all said and done whether, we end on a positive note or a negative note, he knows what he has to do in the spring and summer. He has to get bigger and stronger and so on and so forth. For me the negative’s of it as it relates to Eddie and Aaron Dotson is you would like for them to be able to go through a more enjoyable experience as a kid playing their first year in college basketball. Eddie understands from the standpoint that whether it is Kentucky or Arkansas State his approach to video and practice and everything we do is the same. Obviously he knows he has to get bigger and stronger but you can’t speed that up it just takes time.”
On why the summer is so important in college basketball …
“Well for me personally as long as I have been doing it that is where the good players develop and improve. In the spring and the summer that is where the commitment to the weight room and your commitment to what the coaches have asked you to do really shows. Good players and good teams develop in the spring and the summer. I have always said when the season starts that is just the situation where guys start getting put into roles and you can find out who has worked hard and who hasn’t.”
On what players he thinks used the spring and summer to get better …
“I can give a ton of examples. Take a look at Zach Kinsley when he got here and then take a look at him now. That shows you his commitment to the weight room because he is 15 pounds heavier. Free throw percentage is important and Chris Bass is a good example. He was shooting 40 or 50 percent last year and that is up this season. That is all mental and that is all reps at the free throw line and you see a great improvement. Storm Warren is another good example of that. Without us (the coaches) watching, Storm Warren shot a lot of free throws because whenever I would walk through the gym he would be in there shooting free throws. When the coaches or the head coach is not in a situation where he has to monitor and police a team that is when they get better because those guys are taking control of themselves and responsibilities for themselves. They also push each other. They will play one-on-one in the spring and push each other. Those are some pretty candid examples for me.”
On the effect the injuries Bo Spencer, Garrett Green and Dennis Harris had on their development last summer …
“I have been saying that. Dennis hadn’t played much and then he got a hip injury and that takes a month out of his calendar. Then Garrett hasn’t played and this game is hard enough to play when you are out there playing every day because there is confidence in that. I am not making excuses these are just facts. These are cold hard facts. Bo is a guy who played, he just couldn’t shoot the ball with his right hand but he could do other things with his legs in terms of his strength and all that. It happens.”
On what he uses as selling points to recruits since they are winless in the SEC …
“Well you know would be shocked, and this speaks volumes to the caliber of the kids we recruit, I don’t tell them anything. The fact of the matter with me is I just always deal with facts, and the facts are what they are. I have never been in this situation before. Kids want opportunities. We had one kid that was talking about being guaranteed to start, I don’t guarantee anybody anything. I just guarantee them an opportunity to start. Everyone on this team has had an opportunity to start so that is pretty cut and dry. As far as the future of the program, I just ask them if they want to come help us get where we need to be and be winning on a consistent basis. With all of the other stuff that goes on with recruiting, whether it is one-and-done programs and other things, that is not how you sustain it for a long period time. I always like the fact that when I look in the rearview mirror every place I have left those programs have been pretty good without me. They have sustained it and have kept winning, so that speaks volumes to the guys I work with and some of the players at the program that they carried that on.”
On how this season has affected Tasmin Mitchell …
“Tasmin likes winning. Again we want to throw out words like frustration and discouraged, but we all are. That doesn’t mean that we don’t come out the next day and work. What he has been through this year has taken my respect and joy I had coaching him to another level. A lot of guys would say ‘Woe is me’ and attack his teammates. He has just stayed the course. We have five games left, maybe six or seven but I hope people understand what they are looking at. You are not looking at Shaquille O’Neal or Chris Jackson, you are looking at a guy who has been through every up and down you could possibly have. His freshman year he went to a Final Four and then the coaching changes and now he is in this situation. He is always staying the course and always coming out and being passionate. We all have our deficiencies, but one thing about him is he loves this game, he respects this game and he loves his school. That is about all you can ask. I feel for him more than I have felt for any kid I have been affiliated with in coaching period. Also he knows that I don’t give him sympathy and he doesn’t expect it. We have to work and still have games to play.”
SEC NETWORK AFFILIATES
Jonesboro, AR, KAIT, ABC
Little Rock-Pine Bluff, AR, KATV, ABC
Ft. Myers-Naples, FL, WXCW, CW
Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL, WSFL, CW
Evansville, IN, WTVW, FOX
South Bend-Elkhart, IN, WHME, IND
Wichita-Hutchinson Plus, KS, KSCW, CBS
Lexington, KY, WKYT, CBS
Louisville, KY, WAVE-DT3,
Alexandria, LA, LA, KLAX-DT, ABC
Baton Rouge, LA, WAFB, CBS
Lafayette, LA, LA, KADN, FOX
Lake Charles, LA, KVHP, FOX
New Orleans, LA, WUPL, CBS
Shreveport, LA, KMSS, FOX
Biloxi-Gulfport, MS, WXXV, FOX
Columbus-Tupelo- West Point, MS, WCBI, CBS
Greenwood-Greenville, MS, WABG-A, ABC
Hattiesburg-Laurel, MS, WHLT, CBS
Jackson, MS, MS, WJTV, CBS
Meridian, MS, EGBC, FOX
Charlotte, NC, WAXN, IND
Norfolk-Portsmth-Newpt Nws, NC, WSKY, IND
Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville, NC, WNCN-DT, NBC
Binghamton, NY, WBPN, MNT
Oklahoma City, OK, KXOC, IND
Columbia, SC, SC, WIS-DT2,
Greenvll-Spart-Ashevll-Anderson, SC, WYCW, CBS
Jackson, TN, TN, WJKT, FOX
Memphis, TN, WLMT, FOX
Nashville, TN, WUXP, MNT
Houston, TX, CSS-H, RSN
Tyler-Longview-Lfkn & Ncgd, TX, KLPN, MNT
Madison, WI, ETVW, MNT
Charleston-Huntington, WV, WSAZ, NBC