No. 25 Alabama Brings High-Octane Offense to LSU

Crimson Tide look to continue hot streak against struggling Tigers

Feb. 20, 2026 at 11:10pm

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No. 25 Alabama, led by Labaron Philon Jr. and Aiden Sherrell, will face off against LSU on Saturday in Baton Rouge. The Crimson Tide are coming off a thrilling double-overtime victory over No. 20 Arkansas, where they overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half. Meanwhile, LSU has struggled in conference play, losing four straight and seven of their last eight games. However, the Tigers nearly pulled off an upset against Texas earlier this week, led by a strong performance from Max Mackinnon off the bench.

Why it matters

This matchup features two teams heading in opposite directions. Alabama is riding a five-game winning streak and boasts one of the nation's highest-scoring offenses, while LSU has plummeted since the start of SEC play. The outcome of this game could have significant implications for both teams' postseason aspirations.

The details

Alabama shot an impressive 76.2% from the field in the second half against Arkansas, led by career-high performances from Philon (35 points) and Sherrell (26 points, 13 rebounds). The Crimson Tide's high-powered offense, which leads the nation in scoring at 92.7 points per game, will look to overwhelm an LSU team that has struggled defensively during its recent skid. For the Tigers, Mackinnon's 27-point effort off the bench against Texas showed their potential, and they'll need similar contributions from their supporting cast to pull off the upset.

  • Alabama and LSU will face off on Saturday, February 25, 2026, in Baton Rouge.
  • Alabama is currently on a five-game winning streak, with their last victory coming against No. 20 Arkansas on February 22, 2026.

The players

Labaron Philon Jr.

A key player for Alabama, Philon had a career-high 35 points in the Crimson Tide's double-overtime victory over Arkansas.

Aiden Sherrell

Another standout for Alabama, Sherrell recorded a career-high 26 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Arkansas.

Max Mackinnon

The leading scorer for LSU in their narrow loss to Texas, Mackinnon had 27 points off the bench.

Jalen Reece

LSU's point guard, Reece had a career-high nine assists and only one turnover in the Tigers' recent game against Texas.

Matt McMahon

The head coach of the LSU Tigers, who has seen his team struggle in conference play after a strong start to the season.

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What they’re saying

“That was a fun game, I'm sure the fans enjoyed that. Obviously, our defense wasn't very good on Acuff, especially in the first half. We gotta do a better job, they had a better game plan than us, even though we got better as the game went on.”

— Nate Oats, Head Coach, Alabama

“Max's movement without the ball, whether it was off-the-ball screen actions in the middle third or some of our baseline runners where we were setting pin downs for him, was able to be really effective, especially in the second half.”

— Matt McMahon, Head Coach, LSU

What’s next

The outcome of this game could have significant implications for both teams' postseason aspirations, as Alabama looks to continue its hot streak and LSU tries to turn around its recent struggles.

The takeaway

This matchup between the high-powered offense of No. 25 Alabama and the struggling LSU Tigers will be an intriguing test for both teams. Alabama's ability to overcome deficits and LSU's potential to pull off an upset will be key storylines to watch as these two SEC foes square off in Baton Rouge.