Texas A&M @ Louisiana State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 30, 2019 ) Louisiana State 72, Texas A&M 57

LSU owns the inside track to its first SEC regular-season title in 10 years as it hosts resurgent Texas A&M on Tuesday. The 14th-ranked Tigers, though, had a distraction dumped in their lap Monday when Yahoo Sports reported that coach Will Wade learned he will be subpoenaed in the federal basketball corruption trial which is scheduled to begin April 22.

LSU upset No. 7 Tennessee 82-80 in overtime Saturday without sophomore guard Tremont Waters (illness), its leading scorer and playmaker, and is tied for first with the Volunteers and No. 4 Kentucky while also owning a victory over the Wildcats. "I feel like we are really part of something special," Tigers junior guard Skylar Mays, who played on a last-place team as a freshman, told reporters after scoring 23 points Saturday. "This year is starting to look like a turning point in LSU basketball." Waters, who averages team highs of 15.7 points and 5.9 assists, remains day-to-day after missing his first career game but Wade told reporters Monday: "He's doing better. ... Whether or not he progresses to where he can play or not (Tuesday) night, I'm not sure yet, but he is progressing and making good progress." The Aggies have won two straight and four of their last five after Saturday's 87-80 victory over Arkansas featured 22 points from sophomore guard Savion Flagg.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT TEXAS A&M (12-14, 5-9 SEC): Flagg (12.8 points, team-high 7.7 rebounds) was named SEC Player of the Week Monday after recording a total of 40 points and 18 boards in his last two games, and is averaging 21.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in his past three contests. Junior guard Wendell Mitchell (club-best 13.4 points) is averaging 19.3 in the last three games after scoring 20 versus Arkansas - his sixth game with 20 or more points in the past 10. Sophomore guard TJ Starks (12.6 points) has reached double figures in eight of his past 10 contests after scoring 11 on Saturday despite going 0-for-8 from 3-point range in his last three games.

ABOUT LSU (22-5, 12-2): Freshman guard Javonte Smart (10.9 points) took Waters' place in the starting lineup Saturday and responded with 29 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals in 44 minutes. Waters also leads the club and the SEC in steals with three per game while Mays (13.6 points) is third at 1.96. Senior forward Kavell Bigby-Williams (7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds) recorded 10 points and 10 boards versus Tennessee for his seventh double-double of the season and was 5-for-8 from the field, lowering his season percentage to 68.9.

TIP-INS

1. The Tigers' four overtime victories this season are the most among Division I teams.

2. Texas A&M junior F Josh Nebo (8.5 points, 5.8 rebounds) leads the SEC in blocked shots at 2.42 per game, which was good for 14th nationally entering Monday.

3. LSU has won three straight meetings, including 72-57 on Jan. 30 behind a season-high 36 points from Waters.

PREDICTION: LSU 82, Texas A&M 72