Mar 8, 2007, 15:50 GMT
Atlanta, GA - The sixth-seeded LSU Tigers have been one of the most disappointing teams in the nation this season, and they will attempt to upset the third-seeded and 22nd-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in the opening round of the 2007 SEC Tournament. Next up for the winner of this contest is a quarterfinal clash on Friday with second-seeded Ole Miss.
LSU reached the Final Four last season, but the club has fallen well short of expectations this year. The Tigers, who won their sole SEC Tournament title back in 1980, managed wins in two of their final three regular season games after losing nine of their previous 10.
Tennessee has won this event four times, but the last title occurred way back in 1979. The Vols have won their last four games and seven of the last eight, as they appear to be peaking at the perfect time.
Tennessee beat LSU in a 70-67 final during the regular season, and the Vols own an 89-74 lead in the all-time series.
The LSU Tigers are 11th out of 12 SEC teams in scoring offense, and they average the fewest three-pointers made of all the conference members. Clearly, LSU's Glen 'Big Baby' Davis (17.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg) is one of the top performers in the SEC, but his supporting cast has been inconsistent. Davis missed three games with a strained right quad muscle late in the regular season, but he did come off the bench in the finale to post 11 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes of action. The most capable scorer on the roster aside from Davis is Tasmin Mitchell, who is posting 14.7 ppg to go along with 6.0 rpg. While guards Terry Martin and Garrett Temple are both capable of big performances, neither has been consistent.
Chris Lofton leads Tennessee and the entire SEC in scoring with 20.6 ppg, and he is a 41.9 percent shooter from three-point range. The Vols are the league's highest-scoring team with 80.1 ppg, but they are dead last in scoring defense (74.4 ppg). Tennessee features a four-guard starting lineup, as Ramar Smith, JaJuan Smith and Dane Bradshaw join Lofton in the backcourt. JaJuan Smith has emerged as an outstanding second scoring option, as he is netting 15.3 ppg on the strength of his ability to score both from the perimeter and on drives to the hoop. Ramar Smith is posting 10.4 ppg, and while Bradshaw doesn't score a bunch, he has handed out 143 assists against only 55 turnovers. Also worthy of mention is the fact that Bradshaw has recorded 60 steals.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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