LSU looks to regain its pride as the Bob Pettit statue is unveiled

Bob Pettit has a drive named after him in Tigerland, and after today the LSU legend will have a statue in his honor alongside the statue of Shaquille O'Neal. The 83-year-old Pettit was part of the 1953 Final Four team. That was LSU's first trip to the Final Four, and the Tigers have returned three times since then most recently in 2006.

The team had hopes of getting back to the Final Four this year until it tanked and lost the last three games. Keith Hornsby is rumored to be out the rest of the season with a sports hernia, and rumors are swirling around Ben Simmons saying he quit on his team. These rumors are just that rumors, but the facts are Hornsby was out of the lineup against Arkansas in the midweek game, and Simmons was benched for the first five minutes in the game against Tennessee for not going to class. Added to the struggles is the flu virus left the team with a depleted bench.

Hornsby rallied his troops this week and called them out saying "Where's your pride in the uniform you're wearing?" The Tigers look to find that pride today as they host the same Florida Gator squad that beat the Tigers 68-62 back in January. It was a hangover effect of sorts for the Tigers because it was the first game off the high from beating the number 9 team in the country Kentucky in the PMAC 85-67. That was the high point of the season.

The winner of the game today will have an inside track on the final double-bye in the SEC Tournament in Nashville. The Tigers currently are in a fourth place tie in the league with Vanderbilt, and the Gators are tied for the sixth spot. The game tonight is set for a 7:30 tipoff on ESPN.