The SEC Men's basketball tournament continues as LSU faces No. 13 Florida. Florida is coming off a loss Saturday to Kentucky and has a lot to prove in this tournament as one of the highest ranked teams in the country. LSU has seen a resurgence in their basketball program, going 9-9 in the SEC this season and will hope to knock off the top seed early.
Florida has struggled down the stretch. They have lost three of their last six games and need to get back on track in the tournament in order to get a favorable seating in the NCAA bracket. Ball security, rebounding and clutch shots have all been an issue in the final weeks of the regular season. While they are perfect at home this season, going 16-0, they have struggled on the road with a 7-5 record. Florida was outrebounded in costly losses to Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky with turnovers that could have changed the outcomes of the games. Top scored Pat Young has not played a factor in the final games. His last time against LSU, he only registered two points and three rebounds.
LSU was held to just 32.3 percent shooting in their last matchup with Florida. The Tigers started 0-4 in conference play before winning their final four of six games. Shavon Coleman has played a large role in the late season run. He is averaging 6 points on 27.3 percent shooting off the bench. When the team last played Florida, they scored on six of their first seven possessions. They will have to get off to another fast start if they have any hope in knocking out Florida early in the tournament. LSU is averaging 68.9 points allowed in games and cannot afford to let that happen in the game Friday.
