LSU (9-2) @ Auburn (6-7) Preview - Wednesday 8PM - CST

TV: CSS, CST
Radio: 98.1FM, 198XM, 113Sirius
Stream: GeauxZone

The LSU Tigers (9-2) face the Auburn Tigers (6-7) at 8PM central time on Wednesday in the Auburn Arena. The Auburn Tigers are coming off two very solid outings where they beat ACC foe Florida State and played very well in a 2 point loss to #12 Illinois. LSU comes into the game with a few question marks. Starting forward, Johnny O'Bryant has been slowed with an injury (high ankle sprain) he suffered Dec 22nd against Marquette. He was able to get back into the action this weekend, but only played 5 minutes. Also, PG Anthony Hickey has been in and out of the lineup with discipline issues.

"Based off of Saturday's performance, it is difficult to tell because he was not able to go and give us the amount of minutes or the type of work from him that we needed," Jones stated. "We did not practice on Sunday so we will see where he is [Monday], and how effective he is throughout practice today. He will be able to go depending on what he is able to do the next two days, today and tomorrow, leading up to the game will really determine how effective we think he could be, or how we will try to utilize his minutes on Wednesday."



The Auburn Tigers are led by senior guard, Frankie Sullivan, who is second in the SEC in scoring with a 17.8 average. He also dishes 3.4 assists out per game but has been prone to forcing shots and passes with a very low .402 FG% and a team high 3.1 turnovers per game. While the Auburn Tigers have looked very impressive in their last two games, They have struggled with some teams they should have beaten. Home losses to Winthrop, DePaul, and Rhode Island give them a feeling of inconsistency.



This is a big game for both teams. It is a winnable road game for LSU, and a chance to start off the SEC with a W. Auburn will be looking to continue their run of good play and beat LSU in the teams only meeting this season.

Keys to the Game:
For LSU to win this SEC road contest, they will need to contain Frankie Sullivan. He leads the league with 8 games scoring over 20. In their loss to Rhode Island, he was held to 7 points on 1 of 9 3 point shooting. LSU will also need to continue to turn their opponent over. LSU has played their bast basketball when they are able to force turnovers, pressure their opponent, and run with the basketball. Forcing Auburn to play that type of game will be very important. Also, the Tigers may need to be above average shooting from beyond the arc. Auburn has been good defending around the rim and with a slowed Johnny O'Bryant, LSU will need to hit shots.

Prediction:
LSU 70, Auburn 64 (Ms Garrison will not approve...)
Season 18-11, NIT