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The LSU Tigers are hoping to put an end to their three-game losing streak as they face the Arkansas Razorbacks at home Saturday at noon.
February slate begins in 24
Gameday Links: https://t.co/0XQAsbaa92 pic.twitter.com/drejRIySzL
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) February 2, 2024
The Razorbacks are coming off of a 91-84 win against Missouri Wednesday night.
Struggling Start
Both teams have struggled to earn a win, recently.
The Razorbacks (11-10, 2-6) have lost six of their last eight SEC matchups. Similarly, the Tigers (11-9, 3-4) have lost their last three.
Arkansas started the season ranked No. 14 in the AP Top 25 poll. This is the third straight year they began the season ranked under head coach Eric Musselman.
However, two straight losses in the Battle for Atlantis in November and six losses in the month of January has caused Arkansas to fall out of the top 25 and fall to 12th in the SEC.
A team that has had a NCAA Elite Eight appearance in the past two tournaments is no longer even in the tournament conversation.
The Tigers are coming off of a 21-point loss to Alabama Saturday where leading scorer Jordan Wright only put up five points.
Wright averages 15.6 points per game for the Tigers.
Injuries, Illnesses and Losses
The Razorbacks have struggled with injuries and illnesses recently with leading scorer Tramon Mark sitting out of the loss to Ole Miss with a migraine. Then, at halftime, leading rebounder Trevon Brazile headed to the locker room with a knee injury.
Trevon Brazile out with a knee injury, per the broadcast. He left the game the possession after this play pic.twitter.com/xjq3A2vYlq
— Tyler Cass (@TVTylerCass) January 25, 2024
Brazile is coming off of an ACL tear in his knee last season and did not play in the Hogs’ win over Missouri.
Another shock of this rocky Razorback season came when senior guard Davonte Davis announced that he was stepping away from the team before they faced Kentucky Saturday.
Matchup Keys
This game is going to bring a matchup of the guards.
Wright sweeps all the team statistics, leading in points, rebounds, assists and steals for LSU. Mark leads the Razorbacks with 17.7 points per game.
M&Ms pic.twitter.com/QaUgivPBI5
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) February 1, 2024
Mark is coming off of a 22 point performance, shooting 61.5% from the field. Additionally, forward Makhi Mitchell recorded 19 points
This game will also see a battle for the boards with both teams averaging 36 rebounds per game.
Looking Forward
If the Razorbacks are going to get a much-needed win in this game, they need to capitalize LSU’s mistakes. The Tigers commit 13.3 turnovers a game, ranking 282nd in the country.
In the win against Missouri, the Razorbacks forced 18 turnovers which led to 25 points.
Stakes
Flashback to last year’s game against Arkansas in the PMAC 🔥
Let’s do it again Saturday at 11 a.m.
🎟️ https://t.co/lnVm7SazqU | #BootUp pic.twitter.com/FLyH2C0rY3
— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) February 2, 2024
With a win, the Tigers advance to .500 in the SEC as they’ll face fifth-ranked Tennessee Wednesday
The Hogs are going for their third SEC win as they look forward to a rematch against Georgia Feb. 10.
