Tag: Jalen Reed

LSU basketball’s Jalen Reed to return for 3rd season

Jalen Reed is coming back for what could be a breakout season in 2024-25.

LSU has already landed a couple of intriguing players in the transfer portal heading into the third season under coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], and it also got some good news from a player who is already on the team Sunday.

Sophomore forward [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] announced that he will return to LSU for his third season in 2024-25 rather than enter the transfer portal or the 2024 NBA draft. Reed announced his intention to return with a hype video posted on social media.

A former four-star and top-100 recruit, McMahon flipped Reed from Florida shortly after arriving in Baton Rouge. After appearing in 33 games with 11 starts as a true freshman, he saw his role increase significantly this year.

He started 20 of 32 games, averaging 7.9 points and 4.1 rebounds. He scored in double figures in 10 games after doing so just once last year, and he recorded a double-double — the first of his college career — in a loss to Syracuse.

Reed could be poised for a breakout season after showing flashes this winter. Getting him back in the fold for a third year is a huge win for McMahon and Co.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Instant Analysis: Tyrell Ward’s buzzer-beater stuns Kentucky as LSU men’s basketball earns another ranked win

The Tigers have now revitalized their season with back-to-back wins over top-20 opponents.

When Jordan Wright’s layup with just two seconds to go was blocked, it looked like LSU men’s basketball was doomed to suffer another heartbreaking loss by one point to Kentucky.

But then, Wright secured the rebound and lobbed it up to [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag], who caught the ball in the air and put back a game-winning, buzzer-beater shot to give the Tigers a 75-74 win, marking back-to-back victories for coach Matt McMahon’s team over top-20 opponents.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, but the Wildcats ultimately stretched a nine-point lead at the break. However, LSU flipped the script in the second half in a game that featured 12 ties and 13 lead changes.

An 11-0 run for LSU early in the second half cut the lead to two points, and the teams would trade the lead for much of the rest of that half.

Kentucky thought it delivered the dagger in the final seconds as a Rob Dillingham jumper gave it the lead with 13 seconds to play. But LSU would ultimately respond on the final possession.

Ward ultimately led the team with 17 points, while Wright and [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] also scored in double figures with 13 points each in the win.

The Tigers move to 14-12 (6-7 SEC) and have revitalized their season with a pair of clutch Quadrant 1 wins. They’ll look to keep that streak going when they return to the court at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for another tough game against Mississippi State on Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Instant Analysis: LSU men’s basketball hangs on to take down No. 22 Ole Miss

The Tigers move to 3-1 in SEC play with the win over the Rebels.

LSU earned its first ranked win of the season on Wednesday night, moving to 11-6 overall and 3-1 in SEC play with an 89-80 win over the Ole Miss Rebels in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The Rebels managed to take several decent-sized leads in the first half, and the Tigers found themselves trailing by as much as seven. But in large part thanks to big halves from [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag], who had 11 and eight points in the frame, respectively, LSU took a 35-33 lead to the locker room despite shooting just 41.4% as a team.

However, the Tigers shot above 50% in the second half while Ole Miss shot just 32.4%. They stretched their lead to as much as 16 points, and though Ole Miss would cut it to single digits a few times, it never got closer than five points in the final 10 minutes.

Wright finished with a game-high 27 points, while [autotag]Jalen Cook[/autotag] ultimately finished behind him with 16 points. The Tigers allowed big nights to stars Jaylen Murray (23 points), Matthew Murrell (20 points) and Allen Flanigan (19 points), but the rest of the Rebels struggled to get going.

LSU will be back in action on Saturday for a rematch in Baton Rouge against the Texas A&M team it upset in College Station to begin SEC play.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Instant Analysis: LSU men’s basketball overcomes halftime deficit to beat Alabama State

It wasn’t a complete game, but the second half of Wednesday’s win gave the Tigers something to build on with ranked Texas up next.

After the first half against Alabama State on Wednesday night, it looked like LSU’s men’s basketball team was heading for another rough loss.

But after trailing at the break, coach Matt McMahon’s Tigers team took control in the second half. They pulled away to win 74-56 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, moving to 6-4 on the season.

LSU led for most of the first half, but it never managed to pull away with its largest lead in the frame being just six points. With an 8-0 run to end the half, the Hornets managed to take a 34-30 lead to the locker room despite being outshot 45% to 41%.

[autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag], who had nine points, was a bright spot. Otherwise, it was an ugly half for the Tigers, who were outrebounded 19-15 and had eight turnovers. They had no answer for ASU guard TJ Madlock, who paced his team with 15 first-half points.

The second half was all LSU, however. It outscored Alabama State 44-22 in the final 20 minutes, shooting 15 of 26 from the field in that span.

[autotag]Mike Williams III[/autotag] made the start and ultimately led the team with 15 points, while Reed and [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] scored 13 and [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] scored 11. The Tigers also tightened up on the boards in the second half, doubling the Hornets up in rebounds after losing that battle in the first half.

While it wasn’t a complete game, the second-half performance gives LSU something to build on as it prepares to head to Houston with a huge opportunity in front of it against a ranked Texas team on Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Instant Analysis: LSU smoked by Syracuse in ACC/SEC Challenge

The Tigers fell to 4-3 after missing an opportunity for a big road win.

It looked like the Tigers men’s basketball team was going to be competitive in the early goings on the road against Syracuse in the ACC/SEC Challenge, but the Orange ultimately pulled away to an 80-57 win with a big second half, ending LSU’s three-game winning streak.

The Tigers led for much of the first half, and they trailed by just five at the break. But Syracuse shot 50% in the second half, and an 18-3 run down the stretch helped put away the game for good.

It wasn’t the best game offensively for Matt McMahon’s team. It shot just 39.3%, though it was sharper in the second half. Leading scorer [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] got into early foul trouble, and he scored just three points while playing 16 minutes.

[autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] led the way offensively with 15 and 14 points, respectively, but no one else scored in double figures. The Tigers also turned it over 19 times.

While the Orange had a bad first half shooting, LSU had no answer for star Judah Mintz, who scored a game-high 33 points, 13 of which came at the free-throw line.

After missing an opportunity for a statement road win, LSU will host Southeastern on Friday before a home matchup against Kansas State on Dec. 9.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU survives rough second half to beat North Florida

LSU moves to 4-2 on the season ahead of a road game against Syracuse.

It wasn’t quite the blowout it looked like it was shaping up to be, but LSU held on despite a less-than-ideal second half to beat North Florida 75-63 on Friday night.

LSU got off to a hot start and led 36-18 at halftime, but it was outscored by the Ospreys in the second half as their offense started to wake up. UNF cut the lead down to as little as nine with less than four minutes to play, but the Tigers didn’t let it get any closer than that.

Will Baker continues to be the focal point of the offense, leading the way with 18 points and eight rebounds. While [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] was held to just two points, he did lead the team with nine rebounds in this one.

Jordan Wright also scored in double figures with 15 points, as did [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Williams III[/autotag] with 14 points and 11 points, respectively. It was a solid shooting game overall for the Tigers at 46%, and they scored 25 points at the free-throw line, eight of which came from Baker.

With the win, LSU moves to 4-2 on the year. Coach Matt McMahon’s team will be back in action on Tuesday night as it travels to take on Syracuse in the ACC/SEC Challenge.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Instant Analysis: LSU men’s basketball survives in overtime to close out Charleston Classic

The Tigers ended their stay in Charleston on a high note.

LSU’s men’s basketball team once again squandered a double-digit second-half lead in its final game at the Charleston Classic against Wake Forest on Sunday, but unlike in the opener against Dayton, the Tigers held on to win 86-80 in overtime.

LSU led by 10 at the break, but the Demon Deacons won the second half and erased that lead. Still, the Tigers had a chance at the end of regulation with a two-point lead with 24 seconds to play and [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] shooting two.

Wright missed both, allowing Wake Forest to score the game-tying bucket the other way and send the game to overtime. The extra period was tight, but LSU pulled away to win in the final minute.

It wasn’t nearly as good an offensive game for the Tigers, who shot just 40.8%. They especially struggled in the second half, hitting just 7 of 27 shots, but they were 4 of 6 in the overtime period.

[autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] led the way once again with 23 points and eight rebounds while Wright (15 points) and [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] (12) also scored in double figures. Wake outshot LSU, but it was also outrebounded and turned the ball over 18 times.

It was a nice way to close things out as the Tigers went 2-1 in Charleston and moved to 3-2 overall on the season. They’ll be back in action on Friday night when they host North Florida.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Instant Analysis: LSU men’s basketball falls to Dayton on last-second heartbreaker in Charleston Classic opener

The Tigers squandered a major opportunity on Thursday evening in Charleston.

LSU’s men’s basketball team looked like it was going to bounce back from the loss to Nicholls in tremendous fashion with a win over Dayton for nearly 40 minutes on Thursday afternoon, but a gutsy comeback and last-second go-ahead three gave the Flyers the 70-67 win in the quarterfinal round of the Charleston Classic.

After a tightly contested first half that saw the Tigers take a 32-30 lead to the locker room, they stretched that lead to as much as 15 with under 10 minutes to play in the game. But Dayton went on a 17-2 run to get back in the game, and Nate Santos’ shot in the final seconds proved to be the game-winner as a Carlos Stewart three fell short at the buzzer.

LSU finished the game shooting above 50% as a team, but it wasn’t as efficient down the stretch and had eight second-half turnovers.

[autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] was a bright spot, leading the team with 16 points, while [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] scored 12 and [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] scored 10. Defensively, LSU held the Flyers under 40% shooting but struggled to contain stars Santos (19 points), Javon Bennett (16) and Koby Brea (13).

It was an excellent opportunity to earn a win over a possible tournament team, but now the 1-2 Tigers will have to look elsewhere to start rebuilding their resume. They will be back in action on Friday morning against North Texas, which lost 53-52 against St. John’s. at 10:30 a.m. CT.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU men’s basketball dominates Bahamas in exhibition

LSU didn’t need a late comeback this time around.

After the Tigers needed a comeback to get past Puerto Rico in Monday’s exhibition from Paradise Island, Bahamas, coach Matt McMahon’s LSU men’s basketball team took care of business easily on Tuesday against the host nation.

The Tigers dominated the Bahamas in a 120-59 win, using a 21-0 run in the second quarter to overcome a slow start.

“I think we learned a lot from yesterday’s game when we kind of fell apart there in the third quarter,” McMahon said in a release. “I was just so pleased with the character of the team and with so many new faces we found a way to come together, get over the hump, get the stops we needed and had guys hit big shots for us as we found a way to win. I think that carried over into today’s game. I loved the unselfishness that we played with, having 27 assists. I thought after a slow start on the defensive end in the first quarter we were a lot more disciplined, active and aggressive on that side of the ball for the final three quarters.”

[autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] led the team in scoring once again with 18 points on 6 of 7 shooting alongside big man [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag], who also scored 18 points on 8 of 11 shooting.

“I thought Will (Baker) showed his versatility,” McMahon said. “He scored off the drives from the elbow area. I thought what helped him get freed up inside was that he set a lot of great screens and that gave him the opportunity to create an angle in the post. The guys did a terrific job feeding the ball into him. I was pleased in the second half that we were able to cut our turnovers down, only six there. I thought we were a lot more fundamentally sound than the first three halves we have played here.”

[autotag]Carlos Stewart[/autotag] had 16 points, [autotag]Hunter Dean[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] had 15, while true freshman [autotag]Corey Chest[/autotag] scored 10. [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] also nearly recorded a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Sophomore forward [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] also made his first appearance after missing most of the summer with a knee injury.

“It was great to see Jalen (Reed) back,” McMahon said. “He has missed most of the summer with an injury and just got back last week. He’s had really good individual workouts here and was cleared to play, so I thought you saw his improvement on the defensive glass that was really good today and his ability to put the ball on the floor and make plays for not only himself but others as well. Really happy and excited to see him back on the court.”

LSU will finish up its exhibition tour in the Bahamas on Thursday when it faces Argentinas Obras Sanitarias at 1 p.m. CT.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=698014239]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU basketball freshman Corneilous Williams enters transfer portal after taking redshirt year

Williams missed the entire 2022-23 season as he was rehabbing a shoulder injury.

LSU has seen some expected veteran departures to the transfer portal since its terrible 2022-23 season came to a merciful end, but it can now add a promising young player to the list of outgoing talent.

Freshman forward [autotag]Corneilous Williams[/autotag] entered the transfer portal, joining veteran guard [autotag]Justice Hill[/autotag] and center [autotag]Kendal Coleman[/autotag]. Williams spent the year rehabbing a shoulder injury, and the former three-star prospect from Meridian, Mississippi, didn’t appear in a game as he took a redshirt.

“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal and further my athletic career and education elsewhere,” Williams announced in a Twitter post. “I want to thank all my coaches, teammates, and fans that helped me along the way. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I was given and the bonds and friendships I’ve made at LSU.”

The 6-foot-9, 210-pound player’s departure, along with Coleman’s, leaves LSU fairly thin in the frontcourt as things currently stand. This will almost certainly be addressed in the portal, but keeping and developing a pair of freshmen big men who impressed last season at times in [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] and [autotag]Shawn Phillips[/autotag] will be key.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1390]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

[mm-video type=video id=01gw5rabhp74gfgcn1d1 playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gw5rabhp74gfgcn1d1/01gw5rabhp74gfgcn1d1-7c38e9f43cb020e86faef01a1acbae60.jpg]