The LSU men’s basketball team departed Baton Rouge on Friday, heading to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where winter weather is expected to impact the area. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has moved the tipoff for the game between LSU and the University of Arkansas to just after 4 p.m. on Saturday due to forecasts predicting 8-12 inches of sleet and snow in Northwest Arkansas.
The SEC made this decision in consultation with officials from both universities. Despite the severe weather, the game will proceed at Bud Walton Arena and will be broadcast on the SEC Network with Brett Dolan and Joe Kleine providing commentary. Radio coverage will be available through affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network, including Guaranty Media’s Eagle 98.1 FM.
LSU enters the matchup with a record of 13-6 overall and 1-5 in conference play. Arkansas holds a 14-5 overall record and is 5-1 in SEC games under head coach John Calipari, now in his second year leading the Razorbacks.
Arkansas recently defeated Vanderbilt 93-68 at home. In that game, Darius Acuff led Arkansas with 17 points while Malique Evans and Karter Knox each contributed 16 points. Meleek Thomas added 13 points, D.J. Wagner scored 11, and Trevon Brazile posted a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. The Razorbacks finished with 25 assists against only seven turnovers and outrebounded Vanderbilt by a margin of 39-27.
Acuff currently leads Arkansas with an average of 19.6 points per game this season. Thomas is averaging 15.2 points, while Brazile averages 12.9 points per contest.
For LSU, Mike Nwoko had a strong performance in Tuesday’s loss to Florida in Gainesville, scoring 17 points on seven-of-ten shooting from the field. Nwoko leads the SEC in field goal percentage at 67.9 percent and ranks third nationally.
Point guard DJ Thomas Jr., who missed LSU’s first five conference games, returned to action for 17 minutes against Florida. Although he struggled shooting, he recorded three assists without committing any turnovers.
After facing Arkansas, LSU will return home to play Mississippi State on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
