Missouri Tigers men’s basketball vs. LSU: SEC Tournament prediction, time, TV, lineups
.JPG "LSU guard Xavier Pinson drives the ball around Missouri guard Javon Pickett (left) during the game Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022 in Baton Rouge, La. (Hillary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP)")
The details
When: About 1:30 p.m. Central time Thursday (after the conclusion of Texas A&M and Florida)
Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
TV: SEC Network
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
Betting line: LSU by 11.5
About LSU (21-10, 9-9 SEC): Since blowing out Missouri 75-55 less than two weeks ago, LSU played in two close matchups. The team fell to then-No. 14 Arkansas 76-77 on the road and then defeated then-No. 25 Alabama in overtime, 80-77. Numerous LSU players received regular season awards from the SEC; Tari Eason made the first team and was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds off the bench, Darius Days made the second team and Brandon Murray made the freshman team. LSU will be playing its first game since receiving a notice of allegations for potential violations in the program as part of the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP), which is handling a 2017 federal investigation of corruption within the sport that involves head coach Will Wade’s recruiting efforts. KenPom ranks LSU No. 17.
About Missouri (12-20, 5-13 SEC): Missouri entered the SEC Tournament as the 12th-seeded team. Head coach Cuonzo Martin’s squad defeated 13-seed Mississippi 72-60 on the first day of the tournament, which marked their third win over the Rebels this season. Kobe Brown led Mizzou with 16 points and Ronnie DeGray III had 14 points, while Javon Pickett, Jarron Coleman, Trevon Brazile and Amari Davis each contributed nine points. Missouri was smart with its shot selection — something that often hasn’t been the case this season — and scored 40 points in the paint while shooting 54% from the field. KenPom ranks Missouri No. 135.
Projected lineups
P | No. | LSU | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
G | 1 | Xavier Pinson | 6-2 | Sr. | 10.3 |
G | 5 | Mwani Wilkinson | 6-5 | So. | 3.9 |
F | 0 | Brandon Murray | 6-5 | Fr. | 10.1 |
F | 4 | Darius Days | 6-7 | Sr. | 13.6 |
C | 15 | Efton Reid | 7-0 | Fr. | 6.2 |
P | No. | Missouri | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
G | 5 | Jarron Coleman | 6-5 | R-Jr. | 8.9 |
G | 4 | Javon Pickett | 6-5 | Sr. | 11.0 |
F | 12 | DaJuan Gordon | 6-3 | Jr. | 8.0 |
F | 23 | Trevon Brazile | 6-9 | Fr. | 6.3 |
F | 24 | Kobe Brown | 6-8 | Jr. | 12.7 |
Prediction
Missouri has yet to beat LSU during Martin’s tenure as head coach, and the last matchup between these two squads wasn’t pretty.
Mizzou was completely stifled by LSU’s defense. The team only shot 35.7% from the field and went 20% from three-point range. An even bigger issue was turnovers; Missouri coughed up the ball 19 times, leading to 25 points for its opponent.
Taking care of the ball will be vital for Missouri if it wants any shot of getting an upset here. But that’s easier said than done, especially against an LSU team that ranks second in the country in steals per game (11.2) and fifth in turnovers forced per game (17.94).
It was one thing for Mizzou to beat Ole Miss, which it had already taken down two times this season. Upsetting a team like LSU is a completely different task, one that I don’t see MU able to pull off.
KenPom gives Missouri a 15% chance to win.
LSU 72, Missouri 56
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
