LSU faces off against Arkansas Saturday in their last game of the regular season. Arkansas has already clinched the number two seed for next week's SEC tournament with a win over South Carolina on Thursday. LSU still has potential for the number four seed in the tournament with a win Saturday, and some help from other teams. Currently LSU (10-7 SEC) is number five in the conference, right behind Ole Miss (11-6).
The Tigers put themselves in a position to need a win Saturday against Arkansas. A victory against Arkansas (24-6 overall) would help The Tiger's NCAA tournament résumé. A loss would mean LSU is relying on a very impressive outing in the SEC tournament.
At this point late in the season Arkansas is undoubtably the second best team in the conference, but LSU will play on the road where they have been much improved this season. The Tigers have conference road victories at Ole Miss, Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Auburn. Of The Tiger's best win of the year may have been their 74-73 victory over West Virginia on the road. LSU has struggled all season to have consistent momentum, but a win in their last game before the conference tournament would be huge.
The Tigers (not surprisingly) will need a big game from Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin. Tim Quarterman or Keith Hornsby will also need to step up for LSU to be able to get penetration and shoot the ball. Arkansas is relentless on defense and has the ability to wear a team down. There is always a chance that The Hogs (who have already clenched the number two seed for the SEC tournament) will not be playing to their fullest potential on Saturday.
Tip off is set for I PM, and the game will air on ESPN.