Tag: LSU Men’s Basketball

LSU men’s basketball cracks top 50 in KenPom rankings

LSU is rising in KenPom amid a successful nonconference slate

LSU men’s basketball continues its rise in the rankings amid a three-game winning streak.

The Tigers are up to No. 49 in the most recent KenPom rankings. 12 SEC teams checked in ahead of LSU, which opens conference play at home against Vanderbilt on January 4.

The SEC holds the top two spots with Auburn at No. 1 and Tennessee at No. 2. Florida State ranks No. 63 after falling to the Tigers 85-75 in Baton Rouge.

After a home contest against Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday, LSU heads to SMU and then hosts three straight home games before opening conference play against the Commodores.

Barring an upset, the Tigers should continue moving up the rankings. College basketball has seen many upsets over the first month of the season, including losses to AP No. 1 Kansas and No. 2 Auburn. As long as LSU wins out in its nonconference schedule, it should be in a good position to increase its position heading into SEC play.

LSU men’s basketball rolls against Loyola (New Orleans) in exhibition win

The Tigers had no issues against Loyola in their exhibition to open the season.

It was a blowout win for the LSU men’s basketball team in its preseason scrimmage against NAIA Loyola (New Orleans) on Tuesday night. The Tigers won 110-48 as they seek to push for an NCAA tournament berth in Matt McMahon’s third season.

Newcomers shined in the win, with transfer guards [autotag]Cam Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Sears[/autotag], both starters, leading the team with 21 points and 16 points, respectively. LSU split minutes fairly evenly, resulting in seven total players scoring in double figures.

Freshman [autotag]Robert Miller III[/autotag] and [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag], who missed most of last season due to injury, led the team with nine rebounds apiece.

“Good way to start the exhibition season here,” McMahon said in a release. “From an offensive standpoint I liked it when we were sharing the basketball, balls popping around, guys stepping up knocking down, a lot of good looks from behind the three-point line. I thought in the first half we were able to be disruptive on the defensive end. Think you saw the experience of Jordan Sears, Dji Bailey, and Cam Carter. We talked about it in media yesterday. Over 7,000 minutes of college experience for those three guys. Happy to see them get their first game under their belts in the PMAC.”

It was an impressive performance for the Tigers offense, which shot 55.7% in the game and was aggressive from three-point range, connecting on 18 of 37 attempts.

The defense also dominated, holding Loyola under 30% shooting while forcing 19 turnovers. Those turnovers resulted in 25 points going the other way for LSU.

“I think we were able to make them uncomfortable in the first half with the pressure,” McMahon said. “They do a nice job executing offensively and we were able to get them out of their spots. And what we ended up doing was forcing a lot of contested jump shots on the perimeter. We did a solid job on the defensive glass which enabled us to get out in transition and take advantage of our speed and quickness. I thought that was all activated by the defensive pressure on the ball.”

It was a nice showing for the Tigers, who were also without [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] for precautionary reasons, as well as transfer [autotag]Noah Boyde[/autotag], who continues to recover from a torn ACL last December.

McMahon’s squad will begin the regular season against ULM next Wednesday.

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

How to watch LSU men’s basketball’s exhibition against Loyola (New Orleans) on Tuesday night

The Tigers begin the 2024-25 campaign with an exhibition against NAIA Loyola (New Orleans).

The LSU men’s basketball team is set to begin a pivotal Year 3 campaign under coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] with an exhibition on Tuesday night against Loyola (New Orleans) at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

McMahon enters his third season with a 31-35 record, but the team improved from a 2-16 record in conference play in Year 1 to a 9-9 record in 2023-24. Now, the Tigers look to push for an NCAA tournament bid with a roster that added a top-16 recruiting class and several transfers, headlined by guards [autotag]Cam Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Sears[/autotag].

LSU also returns key contributors like [autotag]Mike Williams III[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag].

Loyola, an NAIA opponent, is coming off a 14-18 season in 2023-24. However, the Wolf Pack started the season off with an 89-71 win over Southern-New Orleans on Thursday night.

Here’s what you need to know to watch as the Tigers face Loyola in an exhibition to tip off the season.

How to Watch

  • Date: October 29, 2024
  • Time: 7 p.m. CT
  • Place: Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge
  • Stream: SEC Nework+ [afflinkbutton text=”Watch LSU vs. Loyola (New Orleans) live on ESPN+” link=”https://go.web.plus.espn.com/Vmrv2O”]
  • Radio: LSU Sports Radio Network

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 lands 4-star point guard as 2025 class jumps to No. 2 in the rankings

The Tigers have the makings of yet another top-15 class under Matt McMahon.

It was a bit of a slow start on the recruiting trail in 2025 for [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] and the LSU men’s basketball team, but they’re closing strong.

The Tigers added a commitment from four-star point guard [autotag]Jalen Reece[/autotag] on Wednesday night over Cincinnati and Providence. The No. 65 player nationally and No. 10 point guard per the 247Sports composite rankings, Reece hails from Oak Ridge High School in Orlando.

The Florida native becomes the third player to join LSU’s 2025 recruiting class alongside power forward [autotag]Matt Gilhool[/autotag] and shooting guard [autotag]Mazi Mosley[/autotag]. All three players rank inside the top 100 nationally, and LSU’s class currently ranks second.

After a disappointing Year 1, the Tigers closed strong to finish 17-16 in 2023-24 including a 9-9 mark in SEC play to earn an NIT bid. Now, McMahon is hoping to push for an NCAA Tournament bid in Year 3.

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

4-star LSU basketball target announcing decision Thursday night

The Tigers will look to add another blue-chip prospect to their 2025 class on Thursday night.

After a slow start in the 2025 recruiting cycle, LSU men’s basketball coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] landed a pair of top-100 commitments in the month of September.

Now, the Tigers could be poised to add another blue-chip prospect to the class as four-star small forward [autotag]Jasir Rencher[/autotag] is set to announce his decision at 7:30 p.m. CT on Thursday night.

Rencher is a native of Oakland, California, and plays for Archbishop Riordan. He ranks as the No. 107 player in the 2025 recruiting class and is the No. 21 small forward, according to On3’s industry rankings and will decide between a list of finalists that includes Washington, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and New Mexico in addition to the Tigers.

LSU seemingly has some ground to make up here as the Aggies are a heavy favorite to land him according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine.

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 adds second 2025 commitment with top 60, 4-star shooting guard

After a slow start in the 2025 cycle, the Tigers have now added two commitments in the month of September.

It was a bit of a slow start on the recruiting trail in the 2025 cycle for [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] and the LSU men’s basketball program. But they’ve now landed a pair of commitments in the month of September as he prepares for Year 3 in Baton Rouge.

Earlier this month, the Tigers added four-star power forward [autotag]Matt Gilhool[/autotag], and now, they’ve landed four-star shooting guard [autotag]Mazi Mosley[/autotag]. Both players rank inside the top 100 nationally with Mosley ranking 55th, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Originally from Northridge, California, Mosley played high school ball at Montverde Academy in Florida while also impressing on the AAU slate.

LSU’s two-man 2025 class ranks 13th nationally and is currently the fifth-best in the SEC. McMahon is looking to close out back-to-back top 15 high school recruiting classes.

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 lands commitment from 4-star power forward, first in 2025 class

The Tigers finally secured their first 2025 commitment in top-75 power forward Matt Gilhool.

It took a bit longer than coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] probably hoped, but the LSU men’s basketball team has its first commitment in the 2025 recruiting class.

On Tuesday night, four-star, top-75 power forward [autotag]Matt Gilhool[/autotag] committed to the Tigers over Alabama, Iowa, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech. Gilhool is a top-15 power forward and the No. 71 player in the country, according to On3’s industry rankings. On3’s own rankings are even higher, ranking him at No. 62.

Gilhool said that the coaching staff made him feel like a priority and that he thinks the program is on its way back after exceeding expectations with a strong finish in Year 2 under Matt McMahon.

“I just like what coach McMahon has going on,” Gilhool said, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. “I think there’s a lot of good stuff for the future with LSU. Just the amount of love they were showing me. They were always hitting me up, always calling me, and they’ve been recruiting me the hardest. I thought that was really important.

“LSU basketball is coming back and it’s definitely exciting.”

https://twitter.com/TiptonEdits/status/1833635743559831630

With Gilhool on board, LSU’s class now ranks No. 16 in the nation in the 2025 cycle. McMahon signed the No. 13 class in 2024.

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

2025 4-star power forward, LSU target set to commit on Tuesday

One of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class is set to announce his commitment on Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. CT. 

One of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class is set to announce his commitment Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. CT.

[autotag]Matt Gilhool[/autotag] is a 6-foot-10, 205-pound, four-star power forward from Philadelphia where he plays for William Penn Charter. Gilhool narrowed down his list of finalists to six schools recently, LSU, Alabama, Iowa, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech.

LSU has received two crystal ball projections to land him per 247Sports and the Tigers are a 91% favorite to land him per On3. The Tigers 2025 class does not have any commitments at this time but if everything goes as planned, the Tigers will have their first commitment tomorrow night.

[autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] is hard at work trying to bring some of the best talent in the country to Baton Rouge. Gilhool would be a huge pickup for the Tigers. LSU’s 2024 season starts when the Tigers take on UL Monroe on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The Tigers improved from Year 1 to Year 2 under McMahon. Let’s see if they can improve again in Year 3.

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

LSU makes the cut as blue chip small forward narrows list to 5

Matt McMahon and the LSU Tigers have made the final five for one of the best small forwards in the 2025 recruiting class.

Matt McMahon and the LSU Tigers have made the final five for one of the best small forwards in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

[autotag]Jasir Rencher[/autotag] is a 6-foot-5, 195-pound, four-star small forward from Oakland, California, where he plays for Archbishop Riordan High School. The Archbishop Riordan Crusaders finished last season with a 25-5 record and a loss to Salesian College Preparatory in the state semifinals.

The Tigers currently do not have any commitments for the 2025 recruiting class, but LSU is in the hunt to land some of the best prospects in the country. There are currently no crystal ball projections at this time for Rencher and there are no clear favorites to land him per On3.

The Tigers finished last season with a 17-16 record and a 9-9 record in conference play. It was an improvement from the 2022 season but there is still work to be done for [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] and his coaching staff.

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

LSU basketball set to host 5-star Louisiana forward for official visit

The Tigers will play host to one of the top prospects in the 2025 class later this fall.

LSU basketball and coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] are still looking for the first commitment in the 2025 cycle, but they’ll have the chance to sell one of the best players in the class who also happens to hail from the state of Louisiana.

[autotag]Chris Cenac[/autotag], a top-15 player nationally from the Link Academy in New Orleans, will take an official visit to Baton Rouge the weekend of Nov. 9, according to a report from On3’s Matthew Brune.

The Tigers are currently the slim favorite to land the 6-foot-10 power forward, according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine. Cenac previously visited Baton Rouge unofficially for last season’s upset win over Kentucky, and he’ll be in town for the weekend of the Alabama game this time around.

Cenac is a major priority for the Tigers and would give them a very talented player to build the class around.

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