What to Know About LSU Ahead of Gators' Bout with Tigers

Florida is looking to win its fifth-straight game as the Gators host SEC foe LSU.

LSU Tigers guard Max MacKinnon has taken on an increased role with injuries to other players. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The No. 16 Florida Gators, having just ended their two-game road trip, come back home to host the LSU Tigers on Tuesday. Florida is 13-5 and 4-1 in the conference and enters as the favorite in this contest. 

back on the home court pic.twitter.com/darbhHmiWF

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 20, 2026

Despite holding the same overall record as the Gators, the Tigers have mightily struggled in conference play. They are 1-4 against SEC opponents, losing their first four games. Their only win over an SEC foe came in their most recent outing against the Missouri Tigers, whom the Gators lost to at the beginning of the month. 

Injuries have played a role in their rough start in the conference, though. 

For starters, they lost their highly talented forward Jalen Reed to a torn Achilles tendon in the sixth game of the season against Drake. He averaged 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds on 57.1/42.9/66.7 shooting splits in six games. 

Then, starting point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. has been dealing with a lower leg injury that has kept him out since the start of conference play. He is averaging a team-high 16.2 points per game and 7.1 assists in 13 games played. He was listed as questionable on Monday on the initial SEC availability report. 

Outside of these two, there are three other Tigers who are having strong seasons. Max Mackinnon, Michael Nwoko and Marquel Sutton are all averaging double figures in scoring and have taken up increased roles with Thomas Jr. and Reed sidelined. 

Mackinnon is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.8 points and shooting 42.5 percent from deep in 18 starts played this season. He is a 6-foot-6 senior guard who transferred in from Portland this offseason. 

Nwoko is a 6-foot-10 forward who is producing 13.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 18 starts. He began his career with the Miami Hurricanes, then joined the Mississippi State Bulldogs before winding up with the Tigers for the 2025-26 season. 

LSU Tigers center Michael Nwoko is averaging nearly 14 points and six rebounds per game. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Sutton is a transfer from the Omaha Mavericks. He is a 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward who is averaging 13.8 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds in 18 starts this year. He had his best outing of the season against Missouri, posting 26 points and six rebounds in 34 minutes. 

Although the Tigers started 1-4 in the SEC, they are a more dangerous team than their record suggests. 

LSU’s offense ranks No. 29 in Division I in field goal percentage, making 49.5 percent of its shots. That has led them to be the No. 49 scoring offense in the country, scoring 84.6 points per game. 

Another pair of stats that gives them a fighting chance in the game is their ability to get to the free-throw line and take advantage of the free points afforded to them. The Tigers rank tied at No. 33 in the country in free-throw attempts per game (25.3) and No. 24 in free-throw percentage (77.4 percent). Defending without fouling is where the Gators have struggled, fouling opponents 17.9 times per contest. 

The scheduled time for tip-off between the Gators and Tigers is at 7 p.m., with ESPN 2 televising the contest.