Tag: Louisiana Christian Wildcats

Matt McMahon details schematic changes heading into Year 2 at LSU

The Tigers employed some different looks from last season in their 132-44 exhibition win over Louisiana Christian.

LSU needed to get the taste of a bad Year 1 under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] out of its mouth, and it took last season’s frustrations out on an NAIA opponent on Monday night.

The Tigers stomped Louisiana Christian in an 88-point win, taking their exhibition 132-44.

After a tough first season in Baton Rouge, McMahon hit the transfer portal to bring in one of the best hauls in the country. We saw the new-look roster Monday night, but we also saw some schematic changes.

On defense, the Tigers utilized halfcourt trapping to force turnovers, of which they got 21 resulting in 39 points the other way. McMahon explained the change after the game, per On3.

“I like it,” McMahon said. “The way the defensive system is structured this year fits out personnel really well. Not only do we have size and athleticism in the frontcourt, but in the backcourt we have [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] who’s 6-7 and a long athlete, [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] is 6-6 and can guard multiple positions on the court. Mwani has played in a switching defense here in the past where he was very successful, so that’s certainly the hope to get better on the defensive side of the ball so that it can fuel your transition attack.”

The changes weren’t just defensive. After shooting just 32.7% from three-point range last season, the Tigers connected on 65.5% of their 29 shots from beyond the arc. Five players in total made threes.

“I thought our spacing was good and then I thought because guys passed up good shots to get great shots, we were able to get high-quality looks and guys stepped up and knocked them down,” McMahon said. “I think it was just a product of having good shooters on our team, I expect us to shoot the ball well. The unselfishness led to some high-quality looks and guys delivered.”

Obviously, the Tigers will face much tougher competition once the regular season starts, but there were certainly positive signs from Monday’s exhibition. McMahon and LSU kick off the 2023-24 season on Nov. 6 against Mississippi Valley State.

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True freshman Mike Williams impresses in LSU men’s basketball’s exhibition

Matt McMahon was impressed with what he saw from his true freshman point guard.

With the season set to begin next week, LSU’s backcourt rotation is still in-flux.

The Tigers are waiting for the NCAA to rule on Jalen Cook’s eligibility, one of LSU’s top transfers who averaged 19.9 points at Tulane last year.

We got our first look at Matt McMahon’s 2023-24 squad on Monday night when LSU hosted Louisiana Christian in an exhibition game. With Cook not available, it was true freshman [autotag]Mike Williams[/autotag] that got the start at point guard.

Williams is a four-star and the 20th-ranked point guard in the 2023 class. Along with [autotag]Corey Chest[/autotag], Williams was one of just two players McMahon signed out of high school this cycle.

McMahon was impressed with Williams on Monday night.

“He’s a great communicator. Even as a freshman, he’s a leader,” McMahon said.

Williams finished with just four points, but totaled seven assists and six rebounds.

“I thought he was able to do a good job getting the ball where it needed to go, seven assists and no turnovers,” McMahon said.

It’ll be intriguing to see how LSU uses Williams once the Tigers see improved competition, but it looks like LSU could be developing a legit floor general here. That can go a long way in college basketball.

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LSU men’s basketball starts season with huge exhibition win over Louisiana Christian

The Tigers began the 2023-24 season with a 132-44 exhibition win over NAIA Louisiana Christian.

LSU’s men’s basketball team enters the 2023-24 season looking to wash away the bad taste from last season’s losing record and 2-16 finish in SEC play. The Tigers certainly got off to a nice start in Year 2 under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], taking down NAIA Louisiana Christian 132-44.

Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] led the way for the LSU offense, which shot 73.1% from the field as a team. He scored 19 points followed by [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] (19 points) and [autotag]Mwani Wilkinson[/autotag] (17).

All in all, seven Tigers scored in double figures. Transfers [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag] (15 points), [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] (14) and [autotag]Carlos Stewart[/autotag] (12) were among those players.

It was also an impressive game on the defensive end for the Tigers, which allowed the Wildcats to shoot just 24.2% from the field while forcing 21 turnovers (resulting in 39 points the other way) and outrebounding Louisiana Christian 49-23.

It wasn’t a Division I opponent, but it’s certainly a positive sign for the Tigers as they look to return to contending for the NCAA Tournament. LSU will begin its regular season on Nov. 6 against Mississippi Valley State.

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How to watch LSU men’s basketball’s “Boo Up” exhibition game vs. Louisiana Christian on Monday night

The Tigers begin Year 2 under Matt McMahon with a scrimmage against NAIA Louisiana Christian on Monday night.

The 2023-24 LSU men’s basketball team will take the court for the first time on Monday night as the Tigers host NAIA Louisiana Christian in an exhibition at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. CT and will be the first time LSU has hosted a preseason exhibition at the PMAC since 2016.

It will be our first glance at a new-look LSU team after a disappointing 14-19 first season under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] that featured a 14-game losing streak and saw the team finish just 2-16 in SEC play.

McMahon hit the portal hard once again this offseason, bringing in one of the nation’s top hauls, headlined by players like [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag], [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag], [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlos Stewart[/autotag].

Louisiana Christian is coming off a 13-17 finish last season and will play back-to-back nights in Baton Rouge as it will scrimmage Southern on Tuesday night.

Admission to the scrimmage will be free to fans, and it has a Halloween “Boo Up” theme, featuring candy for kids, a costume contest and a postgame autograph session with the players.

This will be the final tuneup before LSU begins the 2023-24 season against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 6. Here’s everything you need to know to follow this one.