Tag: Brandon Murray

LSU basketball transfer portal tracker: Who have the Tigers lost, gained this offseason?

Here’s every player who has left and joined LSU’s basketball program via the transfer portal this offseason.

It’s certainly shaping up to be a transitional offseason in Baton Rouge. Before LSU was eliminated in the NCAA Tournament by Iowa State in the first round, the program chose to fire men’s basketball coach [autotag]Will Wade[/autotag] after he was cited by the NCAA as part of its ongoing investigation.

College sports have now entered the transfer portal era. Players are now permitted to transfer without consequence, and whenever there’s a coaching change, you can expect that at least some roster attrition will follow.

That has been the case for LSU, which has already seen a number of players elect to transfer in the wake of Wade’s firing and the subsequent hiring of [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] from Murray State. The Tigers have already brought in one of McMahon’s former Racers players, and more are likely to follow.

Here’s a rundown of each player LSU has lost and gained in the transfer portal. We’ll update this list as more decisions are made.

Report: LSU forward Shareef O’Neal enters transfer portal

The LSU legacy is heading to his third school.

The Tigers saw yet another departure from the program on Tuesday, as junior forward [autotag]Shareef O’Neal[/autotag] entered the transfer portal. His decision was first reported by Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.

O’Neal is the son of former LSU and NBA legend [autotag]Shaquille O’Neal[/autotag], who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. The younger O’Neal was a reserve player for the Tigers in 2021-22, averaging less than 10 minutes per game with 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds.

He saw just five minutes in LSU’s first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa State, registering a rebound and a turnover. He missed his only attempt from the field and was held off the scoreboard.

O’Neal is a native of Los Angeles, and the former four-star recruit and top-50 prospect in the 2018 recruiting class originally signed with nearby UCLA. However, after appearing in just 13 games with the Bruins as a true freshman and averaging 2.2 points per game, he opted to transfer.

In heading to his father’s alma mater, he hoped to see an increased role. However, that never really materialized. He appeared in just 24 games in two seasons with the Tigers, and he never started a game during his time in Baton Rouge.

LSU has now seen three players enter the transfer portal since coach [autotag]Will Wade[/autotag] was fired ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Guards [autotag]Brandon Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]Xavier Pinson[/autotag] also opted to transfer, while all three commits in 2022 and the lone commit in 2023 have decommitted.

New coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] will certainly have his hands full rebuilding this roster.

O’Neal will enter the 2022-23 season as a senior, but he’ll have two remaining years of eligibility as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He’ll hope the next stop is the one where he can become a true-difference maker.

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LSU star Tari Eason declares for 2022 NBA draft

Eason led the Tigers with 16.9 points per game in 2021-22.

In a move that was widely anticipated, star LSU forward [autotag]Tari Eason[/autotag] announced on Friday that he will forego his final two seasons of college eligibility and enter the 2022 NBA draft.

Eason is commonly projected to be a first-round pick in June’s draft, where he is mocked as high as the late lottery selections. He announced his decision in a post on Twitter.

“I’m grateful for so much,” he wrote. “To my LSU guys, for every drop of blood and sweat and for being at my side for the daily grind: I appreciate you! I learned so much from y’all, you’re my brothers now. To my coaches, for pushing me and showing me hot to be better on and off the court: I appreciate you. Thank you LSU for taking a chance on an unknown kid! And to the fans who laced ’em up with me every fame: I appreciate you!!!”

A transfer from Cincinnati, Eason averaged just 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds as a freshman with the Bearcats last season, but he exploded onto the national radar this season. He led LSU with 16.9 points per game, and he was named the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year as well as being a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.

Eason helped guide the Tigers to a 12-0 start to the season but after a mediocre finish in which they were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in an upset, coach [autotag]Will Wade[/autotag] was fired.

Eason becomes the latest key contributor to depart in the wake of that, as guards [autotag]Brandon Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]Xavier Pinson[/autotag] entered the transfer portal on Thursday. Eason’s departure to the NBA likely would have happened regardless, though.

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LSU’s Xavier Pinson becomes next Tigers player to enter transfer portal

The Tigers have lost their starting backcourt duo from this past season to the transfer portal.

LSU continues to hemorrhage players in the wake of coach Will Wade’s firing. The Tigers lost every commit in both the 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes, and guard [autotag]Brandon Murray[/autotag] entered the transfer portal.

Now, LSU has another loss to replace as point guard [autotag]Xavier Pinson[/autotag] also entered the transfer portal on Thursday. Pinson is back in the portal after arriving in Baton Rouge this season as a transfer from Missouri.

In his lone season with the Tigers, Pinson started 27 of the 28 games he appeared in while averaging 9.8 points and 4.8 assists. Pinson is a senior but will use his one remaining year of eligibility due to COVID-19 elsewhere.

With the losses of Murray and Pinson, LSU now has to replace its entire starting backcourt. The Tigers will almost certainly have to hit the portal aggressively themselves, as their two signees in [autotag]Julian Phillips[/autotag] and [autotag]Devin Ree[/autotag] were released from their letters of intent, while hard commit [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag] backed off his pledge, too.

LSU also lost the commitment of its lone 2023 pledge, five-star point guard [autotag]Marvel Allen[/autotag].

Between the roster attrition and potential looming sanctions from the NCAA, this is certainly not an easy situation for new head coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] to walk into. His first priority will be to simply fill out a roster that has taken major losses in the week since the offseason began.

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LSU basketball recruiting is a mess. Where does it go from here?

LSU’s recruiting is in a really bad spot, and it might get worse before it gets better.

With the season now in the rearview mirror, LSU basketball enters a period of uncertainty. There’s not much anybody knows about where this program is headed, if anything at all.

Coaching changes always bring turnover and turmoil, but this one feels different. The way the Wade era ended paired together with looming NCAA sanctions has created an atmosphere of chaos.

LSU might have a hard time getting a coach to sign on, even if a loaded contract offer is put in front of them. The program could have even more trouble getting recruits. This is going to be a ground-up rebuild, even if the sanctions from the NCAA are mild.

Before the firing of Wade, LSU’s recruiting was in a great spot, maybe as good as it’s ever been. There were multiple five-stars poised to join the program, but now LSU has just one commit left in Yohan Traore, and Tigers fans shouldn’t hold their breath on that one either.

A couple of guys who have backed off their pledge have noted that Wade was the reason they wanted to come to Baton Rouge. Even if there wasn’t the drama with the NCAA, LSU was going to have a hard time holding this class together.

It might get worse before it gets better, so let’s look at who the Tigers have lost and where they can go from here.

Tari Eason named SEC Sixth Man of the Year by coaches, Days and Murray also receive honors

Eason led the Tigers in scoring coming off the bench and was also named to the First Team All-SEC list.

It’s been a phenomenal season in Baton Rouge for forward Tari Eason, who transferred in this past offseason from Cincinnati, and he’s earned himself some hardware courtesy of the SEC coaches.

On Tuesday ahead of the start of the SEC Tournament in Tampa, Eason was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year while also being selected to the First Team All-SEC list. Meanwhile, forward Darius Days was selected for the Second Team All-SEC list, and guard Brandon Murray cracked the All-Freshmen team.

Despite coming off the bench, Eason has been the most impactful player for the Tigers this season. He’s averaging 16.9 points (sixth in the league) and 6.9 rebounds (eighth). He also has 12 games this season with 20+ points, eight of those coming in SEC play.

Eason was also named to the Second Team All-SEC list by the Associated Press.

Days, a senior, is averaging 13.6 points and 7.7 rebounds. He’s scored in double figures in each of the last 11 games. Murray is also averaging double-figure points with 10.1. He hit 37 threes this year, and his career-high in points came against Texas A&M, when he scored 21.

LSU is set to begin its SEC Tournament run on Thursday, when it will take on the winner of No. 12-seeded Missouri and No. 13-seeded Ole Miss. The Tigers are the No. 5 seed in the conference.

Here’s the full All-SEC list and postseason awards from the coaches.

SEC MEN’S BASKETBALL AWARDS
First Team
JD Notae, Arkansas
Jaylin Williams, Arkansas
Walker Kessler, Auburn
Jabari Smith, Auburn
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Tari Eason, LSU
Iverson Molinar, Mississippi State
Santiago Vescovi, Tennessee
Scotty Pippen Jr., Vanderbilt

Second Team
Jaden Shackelford, Alabama
Colin Castleton, Florida
TyTy Washington Jr., Kentucky
Sahvir Wheeler, Kentucky
Darius Days, LSU
Kobe Brown, Missouri
Kennedy Chandler, Tennessee
Quenton Jackson, Texas A&M

All-Freshman Team
Charles Bediako, Alabama
JD Davison, Alabama
Jabari Smith, Auburn
TyTy Washington Jr., Kentucky
Brandon Murray, LSU
Devin Carter, South Carolina
Kennedy Chandler, Tennessee
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

All-Defensive Team
Keon Ellis, Alabama
Jaylin Williams, Arkansas
Walker Kessler, Auburn
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

Coach of the Year: Bruce Pearl, Auburn
Player of the Year: Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Jordan Wright, Vanderbilt
Freshman of the Year: Jabari Smith, Auburn
Sixth-Man of the Year: Tari Eason, LSU
Defensive Player of the Year: Walker Kessler, Auburn

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LSU survives overtime against Alabama, who stood out for the Tigers?

Which LSU Tigers stood out in the win over Alabama.

Alabama and LSU have dolled out a couple of thrillers over the last couple of years. It’s a rivalry that delivered again on Saturday with LSU finally coming out on top, 80-77.

LSU couldn’t have asked for much of a better start. There was no 11 AM lull as it came out of the gates buzzing in front of a loud crowd.

Alabama then settled in, and LSU had some trouble defending the three-ball. It didn’t last long, as the Crimson Tide went cold, allowing LSU to pull in front again.

The final minutes of the first half went back and forth with Alabama throwing in a final-second dunk to take a small lead into halftime.

The second half, much like the first, saw LSU and Alabama trading bullets. Around the 4:30 mark, Tari Eason hit two free throws to tie it at 64.

Some moments later, Eason found Days down low, putting LSU up two. That was followed by a Brandon Murray fast-break dunk, making it 68-64 LSU.

Tied at 70 with a minute left, LSU found the basket. Alabama followed that up with an illegal screen on the ensuing possession, giving LSU the ball right back.

A wild final minute sent the game to overtime, where it didn’t slow down. The five-minute overtime period resembled the first 40 minutes.

LSU came out on top and got one of its biggest wins of the year to head into the SEC tournament.

Here are three Tigers that stood out on Saturday.

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LSU falls short against red-hot Arkansas in Fayetteville

The Tigers missed another opportunity for a key Quadrant 1 win on the road on Wednesday night.

In what was a very heated and entertaining game in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Wednesday night, LSU came up one shot short of a victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Tigers started off strong shooting, 41% in the first half in what was a 35-35 tie at the break with a Razorbacks team that has won 14 of their last 15 games. But coach Will Wade’s squad couldn’t hold on to a late lead, falling 77-76 at Bud Walton Arena.

The Hogs only shot 38% in the first half and LSU outrebounded Arkansas 20-18 and both teams finished with seven turnovers. The second half started off as hot as the first half with LSU scoring the first seven points thanks to Brandon Murray and Darius Days.

After LSU’s hot start, though, Arkansas came fighting back and cut the lead down to one with 13:56 remaining in the game. The lead would proceed to switch back and forth multiple times until LSU went on a six-point run to make the score 63-56 with 6:31 left in the game.

That is as big of a lead as anyone would get for the rest of the game as it came down to the wire. Reminiscent of a heavyweight boxing match, both teams would trade blows for the final six minutes of the ballgame to try and come out on top.

LSU took the lead with 9:22 left and held onto it until Arkansas scored with 1:13 left. The Tigers responded to that score with a layup from Xavier Pinson to re-take the lead with 52 seconds left. Then, it was as if LSU pressed the touchpad on their Playstation controller to intentionally foul someone.

The Tigers fouled Arkansas twice in the final 46 seconds. Arkansas made 3 of 4 free throws to take a one-point lead with eight seconds left. Coach Will Wade decided not to use his final timeout as the Tigers inbounded the ball to Pinson who ran the length of the floor and attempted a layup with two seconds left, but the shot was off the mark, securing the Arkansas win.

LSU finished the game shooting 36% from the field and 21% from three-point range. The Tigers only had 10 turnovers while forcing 12 from Arkansas, and they outrebounded the Hogs 43-34, grabbing 22 offensive rebounds to Arkansas 10.

Tari Eason led the Tigers in scoring with 24 points on 14 attempts. He went 10 for 10 from the charity stripe. Darius Days was the second-highest scorer with 19 points on 12 attempts.

LSU will play its final regular-season game this Saturday against a struggling Alabama team. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m CST.

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LSU earns 3rd consecutive win with blowout against Georgia

LSU took care of business at home against the Bulldogs, winning 84-65.

LSU won its third straight on Wednesday night as it took care of business against the Georgia Bulldogs with an 84-65 win.

For most of the first half, Georgia was able to keep it a game, even leading 20-19 at one point. From that point on, though, it was pretty much all LSU. The Tigers ripped off a 17-0 run and didn’t look back.

In what has been a rare occurrence this season, LSU took a large lead into the half as it led by 16 heading into the locker room.

Once again, it was forward Tari Eason leading the charge. He played a large role in that first-half run, scoring 17 points in the first 20 minutes, and he finished the game with 21 points.

For most of the second-half, LSU maintained a 20-plus point lead, even stretching to as much as 32 in the final five minutes.

Despite struggling from three-point range, forward Darius Days had one of his best games of the year as he was efficient with two-pointers and active on the boards, leading LSU with 12 rebounds while also scoring in double figures with 15 points.

Brandon Murray also continued to show promise that he can be a plus to an LSU offense that’s had its fair share of struggles this year. He matched Days’ scoring mark with 15 points of his own.

The Tigers needed to flex their muscles tonight against a Georgia squad that’s barely in KenPom’s top 200. LSU has come out flat against teams with lesser talent far too often this season, but that was not the case on Wednesday.

It was one of LSU’s best offensive performances of the year, and their best in SEC play. Georgia, meanwhile, was led by Kario Oqubendo, who had a game-high 26 points.

The Tigers have reached the end of their two-game homestand and will travel for their next one when they face South Carolina on Saturday in Columbia.

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LSU Men’s Basketball: LSU gets much needed win against Texas A&M

LSU beats Texas A&M 76-68 for a huge road win.

The LSU Tigers got back into the win column with a 76-68 win over Texas A&M. Coming into the game, LSU had lost three straight games.

The game started close, but LSU got going midway through in the second half. The Tigers went on 25-5 run to end the first half. LSU shot 7-10 from three-point land during the run to take a 36-16 lead into halftime.

The Aggies cut the Tigers’ lead to ten in the second half, but LSU bounced right back and built the lead back to 17. LSU managed to hang on to the lead and got a much-needed win.

Xavier Pinson came back from injury and was back in the starting lineup. Pinson finished the game with 11 points, but the Tigers’ offense ran smoothly with Pinson back. LSU shot 49% from the field and 50% from beyond the Arc.

Tari Eason scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds off the bench. Eason has been great for LSU this year. Brandon Murray added 14 points, and Darius Days scored 10 points.

LSU defense played well in this game; they held Texas A&M to 16 points in the first half. However, the Aggies only shot 32.8% from the field and 26.7% from three-point land. It was an excellent road win for LSU. Let’s see what happens when they play Mississippi State at home on Saturday.

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