Gamethread: #12 LSU vs. Arkansas, 1:00 P.M., ESPN2

Fresh off gutting out an impressive road win at Florida, the No. 12 LSU men’s basketball team (15-1, 3-1) returns home for an afternoon clash with a reeling Arkansas team.

The Hogs (11-5, 1-3) have had a rough go of things coming off of last season’s run to the Elite Eight. Arkansas’s already dropped three games and have yet to play any of the SEC’s elite teams like Alabama, Auburn, or Kentucky. Instead they’ve lost to middling at best teams like Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M.

Arkansas may have begun to right the ship after blowing out Missouri 87-43 Wednesday night. That said, they’ll be without head coach Eric Musselman who had surgery on a torn tendon in his shoulder. Keith Smart, a Baton Rouge native, will serve as the interim head coach.

Speaking of absences, Xavier Pinson is “doubtful” for Saturday’s game after his knee sprain against Tennessee. That means we’ll likely see Eric Gaines man the point for LSU.

LSU’s currently riding a 13-game winning streak in the PMAC. Last season LSU and Arkansas split the season series 1-1 and LSU won the rubber match in Nashville, knocking Arkansas out of the SEC Tournament in the semifinal round.