Tennessee @ Louisiana State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 31, 2018 ) Louisiana State 61, Tennessee 84

Fifth-ranked Tennessee did not need its best effort to rebound from a loss for the first time since Thanksgiving, but must come up with a better performance Saturday afternoon when it visits No. 15 LSU for an SEC showdown. The first-place Volunteers followed up their loss at Kentucky by shooting just 41.1 percent and scoring a season-low 58 in a 12-point victory over last-place Vanderbilt on Tuesday.

“I thought our guys did everything right leading into this game,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes told reporters. “They came back and I thought they very seriously took a look at the game after (last) Saturday night (at Kentucky) and understood the mistakes they made. … I thought defensively we were very good, but we had some shots we didn’t make.” The Volunteers hold a one-game lead over Kentucky and LSU in the SEC with five contests left and will again lean on junior forward Grant Williams, who scored 16 in an 84-61 rout of LSU last season as Tennessee shot 54.1 percent from the field and drained 12-of-25 from 3-point range. The Tigers are unbeaten on the road in SEC, but have dropped two of six on their home court after Wednesday’s 82-77 setback against Florida in Baton Rouge, La. “It’s embarrassing we’ve lost two home games,” LSU coach Will Wade told reporters. “We’re 7-0 in the SEC on the road and we’ve lost two (at home). I feel terrible for our fans. … It’s sickening.”

TV: Noon ET, ESPN

ABOUT TENNESSEE (24-2, 12-1 SEC): The Volunteers are among the national leaders in field-goal percentage (50.7), but connected on just 40.9 percent the last two games - including 13-of-46 from 3-point range. “You can’t coach making shots,” Barnes told reporters. “All you can do is encourage guys to do what they practice and believe in it and do it. You have to believe in their work ethic and the fact they have to keep shooting. You can’t make the next one if you don’t shoot it.” Williams tops the team in scoring (19.1) and rebounding (7.6) while senior guard Admiral Schofield (16.5 points) is also a major threat.

ABOUT LSU (21-5, 11-2): Sophomore guard Tremont Waters tops the Tigers in scoring (15.7), assists (5.9) and steals (3.0, leads SEC), but was limited to 3-of-12 shooting for an SEC-low 10 points against Florida on Wednesday. Freshman forward Naz Reid adds 13.8 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per contest after posting his third double-double in six games (16 points, 15 boards) before fouling out Wednesday. Junior guard Skylar Mays scored 18 against Florida to raise his season average to 13.2 after managing six in the previous game while freshman guard Javonte Smart (10.2 points) was 2-of-8 from the field Wednesday.

TIP-INS

1. LSU senior F Kavell Bigby-Williams (7.8 rebounds, 6.0 rebounds) is 18-of-24 from the field the last five games.

2. Tennessee junior G Jordan Bone (13.2 points) is 12-of-20 from the field the last two games and leads the SEC in assists (6.5).

3. The Volunteers lead the league in defensive rebounding (27.6) and the Tigers top the SEC on the offensive glass (13.2).

PREDICTION: Tennessee 78, LSU 72