Arkansas plays LSU Wednesday

The Razorbacks are in sole possession of first place in the SEC’s Western Division and are playing very good basketball as they enter Wednesday night’s game with LSU at 7 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena. The contest will air on the SEC Network and fans entering the building will be given fan flags.

Arkansas (12-11, 5-3 SEC) is on a four-game SEC winning streak for the first time since the 2007-08 season when it won four in a row in late January and early February. During that run, the Razorbacks have defeated then SEC West leading Mississippi State, No. 18 Ole Miss, Georgia and Auburn. Arkansas’ first-place standing is believed to be the first time since the 1997-98 season that the Razorbacks have been in first this late into the conference schedule.

The Razorbacks rode the coat tails of Courtney Fortson in its last victory as the sophomore point guard scored 24 points, 10 in overtime, to lead Arkansas from a two-point halftime deficit to victory. Fortson has been a key catalyst to Arkansas’ success of late as he is averaging 20.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, has three double-doubles and more than six assists per game in his nine games on the court. Since Fortson’s return Arkansas is 5-4, but taking out the Razorbacks’ loss to No. 2 Kentucky, have been by a total of 18 points.

LSU (9-14, 0-9 SEC) had a solid non-conference record, but has struggled in SEC play. The Tigers have won just one of their last 13 games and have not picked up a victory since Jan. 4, when they defeated McNeese St., 83-60, in Baton Rouge. LSU has also struggled on the road and are 0-5 this season away from its home court. Tasmin Mitchell is a big time player on the defending SEC Champions. Mitchell is averaging 17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and is one of three LSU players to average double-figure scoring.

The Arkansas-LSU game will be broadcast on the SEC Network at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night. The contest can also be heard on radio across the state of Arkansas on the Razorback Sports Network with Mike Nail and Rick Schaeffer giving the calls. Nail is in his 29th and final season as the play-by-play voice of the Razorbacks.

Looking past the LSU contest, Arkansas goes on the road to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 13, to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in a return match from the teams Jan. 16 meeting which Arkansas won 71-59.