No. 5 Tennessee Upset by No. 13 LSU in OT After Foul Call with 0.6 Seconds Left

The No. 13 LSU Tigers scored an 82-80 upset victory in overtime against the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

LSU, which was without top scorer Tremont Waters because of an illness, bounced back from its overtime loss to the unranked Florida Gators to score its second Top Five win in as many weeks after beating the Kentucky Wildcats last Tuesday. Javonte Smart led the way with 29 points, including two clutch free throws inside the final second of OT, as the Tigers claimed a share of the SEC lead with the Vols.

Tennessee, which didn't get enough beyond Admiral Schofield's 27 points and nine rebounds, has dropped two of its past three games after a lopsided loss to Kentucky last Saturday. The Vols, who spent a month in the No. 1 spot, could now slide a little further in the new rankings Monday.

Grant Williams' Early Struggles Show Vols' Need For Improved Frontcourt Depth

Williams is Tennessee's rock. The junior forward entered the contest averaging 19.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 blocks while starting all 26 of the team's games.

His consistent success has masked the Volunteers' lack of other frontcourt production. He's now reached double figures in scoring 25 times, and one of the two times he didn't (last Wednesday against the South Carolina Gamecocks), he nearly posted a triple-double with eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists

His four-point outing against the Missouri Tigers in early January was his only all-around poor performance. He made just five of his 14 attempts Saturday, though a late surge in overtime did allow him to finish with 18 points.

Grant Williams with the Strong Finish

The key question is how Tennessee will respond if he can't find his shot during a March Madness game.

No other member of the Vols frontcourt is averaging more than 8.2 points, and they received just 11 points from Kyle Alexander, John Fulkerson, Yves Pons and Derrick Walker on Saturday. It's a key reason they couldn't take down an LSU squad without its top scorer.

Tennessee is likely going to need at least one member of that group to step up in a major way during the NCAA tournament if it wants to make its championship dreams reality. Rarely do all six games go according to plan in the Big Dance.

The Vols' backcourt, led by Schofield and Jordan Bone, has enough depth to overcome an off night from one of their stars. The same can't be said for the options aside from Williams up front, and that could become an Achilles' heel in the weeks ahead if someone doesn't step up soon.

LSU Needs Healthy Tremont Waters To Make Deep Tournament Run

Full credit to the Tigers for beating Tennessee even with Waters sidelined, but their offensive struggles without him illustrate his immense value heading into the NCAA tournament.

The sophomore guard is averaging 15.7 points, 5.9 assists and 1.8 threes. So LSU leans heavily on him to not only create offense for himself but also for his teammates by generating open looks on his drives to the basket. It's been a successful strategy most of the campaign.

There were extended stretches in Saturday's game where the Tigers' attack looked completely out of sync. That's evidenced by their 38.5 percent shooting, including 32.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Ja'vonte Smart with a Point vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Smart and Skylar Mays (23 points) did keep LSU within striking distance throughout regulation and into overtime, and a strong team effort allowed the Tigers to pick up a resume-building win. But that doesn't take away from Waters' importance.

The 21-year-old Connecticut native doesn't generate much national attention despite being the driving force behind a Top 15 team. But his offensive value to LSU is not in doubt after Saturday.

His short-term status is uncertain after sitting out against Tennessee, but the most important thing for the Tigers is having him available for the NCAA tournament.

What's Next?

LSU returns to action Tuesday night when it completes a three-game homestand against the Texas A&M Aggies.

The Volunteers travel to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday before next Saturday's critical rematch with Kentucky.