LSU men’s basketball is coming off an ugly loss with the potential of one even uglier at hand.

The No. 18 Tigers stunning 99-90 loss to a Vanderbilt team that had lost 26 consecutive SEC games sent shock waves across the league and rattled LSU coach Will Wade with a game at No. 11 Auburn set for Saturday at 11 a.m.

Wade was so disturbed he didn’t even use the old coach’s cliché that it would serve as a wake-up call when asked.

“No, not this one,” Wade said. “We needed to lose one but not that one.”

Wade hammered his team’s defensive play in a game where the Tigers gave up 12 3-point baskets and 20 layups. The loss stopped LSU’s momentum, breaking a 10-game win streak and a 12-game road win streak.

The 12-point underdog Commodores entered the game shooting 35.3 percent from the field and 23.0 from behind the arc. Vandy hit 57.4 of its shots overall and were 12 of 30 from long range.

Auburn (20-2, 7-2) is the highest ranked SEC team at No. 10 in the coaches poll and No. 11 in the AP top 25. The last time LSU visited there, the Tigers took a 95-70 whipping.

“I would say that it is very concerning,” Wade said. “We’re playing one of the best coaches, best teams in the league on the road. In my opinion it is the most hostile environment in the league. They’ve got the best atmosphere of anywhere in the league.

“If we give them confidence offensively it’ll look like the last time we went there when we just got the doors blown off of us. If we don’t find something between now and Saturday at 11, it’ll be ugly.”

Wade said he was worried that even though Auburn isn’t as good a 3-point shooting team as it was last year, maybe it was because it hadn’t played LSU. It’s not for lack of trying. Auburn has attempted the second most 3-pointers (576) but is ninth in percentage of makes at 30.9.

LSU is allowing opponents 33.5 percent 3-point shooting, which is second to last in the 14-team league. On top of that, LSU will be facing the SEC’s No. 1 rebounding team at 41.3 per game.

“Well they still shoot a bunch, they’re not shooting as well but they haven’t played us yet,” he said. “They’re great defensively. They just put so much pressure on you. Base line out of bounds. Sideline out of bounds. Defensively, offensively they drive the ball. They get in the paint, they get fouled. They’ve only lost two games all year. There’s a reason they’re ranked so high.”

Auburn is led by 6-4 senior guard Samir Doughty at 15.5 points per game and 6-6 freshman forward Isaac Okori at 13.0. Auburn has five players who have made at least 23 3-point shots, led by Doughty with 37 and Daniel Purifoy with 35.

Wade said part of LSU’s defensive problems could be solved soon when Charles Manning Jr. returns from injury rehab to join Marlon Taylor in the guard rotation off the bench. Manning had surgery on a fractured foot and could be back by Tuesday’s home game against Missouri.

Taylor was out while Manning was playing but returned the game after Manning went down with his injury.

“We need both of those guys back so we can go with a five-person guard rotation and a four-person bigs rotation,” Wade said. “Really 4.5 guards and 3.5 bigs is what I’m trying to say. We’re going to play those same eight guys. That would solve some of our issues.

“At this rate whenever our last game of the year is, we’re going to get beat the same way. We’re going to give up a boatload of points and we’re not going to be able to guard anybody off the bounce and our offense is not going to be able to bail anybody out.”