Tigers set to host Bama Wednesday

The LSU men's basketball team, right in the thick of a crazy Southeastern Conference Western Division race despite three straight losses, tries to get back in the Division title picture Wednesday night against No. 19 Alabama, Wednesday night in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

LSU is 13-7 on the season, 2-4 in the Western Division, while Alabama is 15-5 and 2-4 in the league as well. Both teams enter the week of play, just a half game behind co-leaders Arkansas and Auburn who are 3-4. The Tigers fell out of the national rankings after two losses last week after 17 straight rankings dating back to last year. Alabama remained in the rankings after two losses last week.

LSU comes in off a 57-54 last-second loss at Georgia Sunday in another performance in which the LSU defense did its job, but the Tigers couldn't get any scoring to help Glen Davis (18 pts, 14 reb., 6 asts.) and Terry Martin (16 pts.).

"I like the effort of our team (Sunday)," LSU Coach John Brady said. "I liked how hard they played. I just haven't been able to get them to a position where the consistency is where it needs to be. At crucial moments, we haven't been able to make the players we need to win. Georgia did and we didn't. We need to keep playing with the same intensity defensively, but we've got to figure out a way to win. We need to teach and encourage and find a way to get some guys on the ball and some different looks so that we can develop some more consistency in scoring."

The game takes on an added importance for LSU in that its next two games are on the road against Mississippi State (4 p.m.) Saturday and at Tennessee (8 p.m. CST) next Tuesday. LSU returns home for the first of four Saturday home dates against Arkansas at 2 p.m. on Dec. 10.