SEC Basketball Preview/Prediction: LSU at Tennessee

Post Views: 26

LSU visits Tennessee on Saturday in a key SEC basketball matchup. Look inside for a preview of the game along with a prediction of the game’s final score.

By 14Powers Hoops

Team Statistical Comparison

	FG%	3PT%	FT%	ORB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
LSU	0.460	0.317	0.758	405	1162	390	280	133	400
LSU OPP	0.436	0.341	0.697	336	1022	336	197	90	461
Tennessee	0.500	0.353	0.762	303	1136	560	182	165	335
Tennessee OPP	0.390	0.330	0.647	356	1029	363	181	71	405

Statistical Leaders

LSU Scoring Leaders

PLAYER	PPG	FGM	FTM	3PTM
Skylar Mays	15.8	67	39	17
Emmitt Williams	13.9	66	31	4
Darius Days	13.2	60	23	15
Trendon Watford	12.6	57	29	8
Javonte Smart	10.2	44	21	13
Charles Manning Jr.	8.5	42	12	6
James Bishop	3.4	13	6	5
Aundre Hyatt	1.9	8	2	5

LSU Rebounding Leaders

PLAYER	OR	DR	TR	RPG
Darius Days	30	63	93	7.8
Emmitt Williams	32	58	90	7.5
Trendon Watford	23	50	73	6.1
Skylar Mays	7	49	56	4.7
Javonte Smart	8	34	42	3.5
Charles Manning Jr.	8	33	41	3.4
Aundre Hyatt	5	19	24	2.0
James Bishop	1	2	3	0.3

Tennessee Scoring Leaders

PLAYER	PPG	FGM	FTM	3PTM
Jordan Bowden	12.9	53	26	23
Lamonte Turner	12.3	40	44	11
John Fulkerson	11.6	56	27	0
Yves Pons	11.2	51	20	12
Josiah-Jordan James	7.1	29	18	9
Olivier Nkamhoua	4.9	26	6	1
Davonte Gaines	4.1	10	22	3
Jalen Johnson	2.6	11	3	6
Drew Pember	1.9	4	8	1

Tennessee Rebounding Leaders

PLAYER	OR	DR	TR	RPG
Josiah-Jordan James	15	57	72	6.0
Yves Pons	17	46	63	5.3
John Fulkerson	20	41	61	5.1
Olivier Nkamhoua	24	35	59	4.9
Jordan Bowden	4	47	51	4.3
Lamonte Turner	7	32	39	3.5
Davonte Gaines	6	17	23	2.1
Drew Pember	8	9	17	1.9
Jalen Johnson	4	18	22	1.8

NCAA RPI

LSU: 37

Tennessee: 71

LSU Roster

No.	Name	Pos.	HT	WT	Class	City-State
0	Darius Days	F	6′-6″	240	SO	Raleigh, FL
1	Javonte Smart	G	6′-4″	205	SO	Baton Rouge, LA
2	Trendon Watford	F	6′-9″	235	FR	Birmingham, AL
3	Parker Edwards	G	6′-3″	190	SO	Mandeville, LA
4	Skylar Mays	G	6′-4″	205	SR	Baton Rouge, LA
5	Emmitt Williams	F	6′-6″	230	SO	Fort Myers, FL
10	James Bishop	G	6′-2″	190	FR	Baltimore, MD
11	Charles Manning Jr.	G	6′-5″	200	JR	Riverhead, NY
12	Marshall Graves	G	6′-4″	195	SR	Ponchatoula, LA
14	Marlon Taylor	G	6′-5″	210	SR	Mount Vernon, NY
15	Aundre Hyatt	F	6′-4″	225	FR	Bronx, NY
20	Caleb Starks	G	6′-3″	205	JR	Lafayette, LA
21	Courtese Cooper	F	6′-9″	220	SO	Elgin, IL
24	Deshawn Thomas	C	6′-9″	250	JR	Dentsville, SC

Tennessee Roster

No.	Name	Pos.	HT	WT	Class	City-State
0	Davonte Gaines	G	6′-7″	178	FR	Buffalo, NY
1	Lamonte Turner	G	6′-2″	187	SR	Florence, AL
3	Drew Pember	F	6′-9″	207	FR	Knoxville, TN
4	Jacob Fleschman	G	6′-3″	176	JR	Austin, TX
5	Josiah-Jordan James	G	6′-6″	208	FR	Charleston, SC
10	John Fulkerson	F	6′-9″	212	JR	Kingsport, TN
12	Victor Bailey Jr.	G	6′-4″	186	JR	Austin, TX
13	Jalen Johnson	G	6′-6″	196	JR	Durham, NC
21	Olivier Nkamhoua	F	6′-8″	224	FR	Cumberland, MD
23	Jordan Bowden	G	6′-5″	193	SR	Knoxville, TN
30	Brock Jancek	F	6′-8″	222	SO	Knoxville, TN
33	Zach Kent	F	6′-11″	235	SO	Magnolia, DE
34	Uros Plavsic	F	7′-0″	240	FR	Chattanooga, TN
35	Yves Pons	G	6′-6″	215	JR	Paris, FR

Scouting Report

Tennessee 8-4 (0-0 SEC) and LSU 8-4 (0-0 SEC) meet in Knoxville for each team’s conference opener. Neither of these teams are as formidable as last season. That happens when you lose top notch players like Grant Williams and Tremont Waters. Glancing at the two team’s games played so far, it looks like the Vols have the stronger squad. LSU has a scathing 11-point home loss to East Tennessee State along with a loss at Virginia Commonwealth. Tennessee’s worst loss as a 20-point home setback to Wisconsin. The Vol’s best win was a 13-point victory over Washington. Meanwhile, a 17-point home win over a decent 1-loss Liberty team is the Tiger’s best victory.

Guard Jordan Bowden is the Vols leading scorer but UT has three other players that average in double figures. Josiah-Jordan James, a 6-foot-6 freshman guard is the Vols leading rebounder. Senior guard Skylar May’s is the Tigers’ top scorer but, like Tennessee, the Tigers have several other double digit scorers. Looking at the stat comparison, Tennessee is more accurate from 3-point range and also defends the three better. The Vols also shoot better than the Tigers from the field and at the foul line.

Playing at home, look for Tennessee to win this one.

LSU-Tennessee Prediction

Tennessee 70, LSU 64