Tag: LSU Men’s Basketball

LSU basketball hiring Sacramento State’s David Patrick as associate head coach

David Patrick spent the last two seasons as the head coach at Sacramento State and was an assistant at LSU from 2012-16.

LSU made a splash to complete Matt McMahon’s men’s basketball coaching staff for the 2024-25 season.

On Wednesday, the program announced that [autotag]David Patrick[/autotag] would be returning to Baton Rouge to serve as the team’s associate head coach. Patrick spent the last two seasons as the head coach at Sacramento State.

Known as an elite recruiter, the 48-year-old Bermuda-born coach who was raised in Australia was an assistant at LSU under coach [autotag]Johnny Jones[/autotag] from 2012-16. In two seasons as the head coach of the Hornets, he had a 24-42 record.

“I am incredibly excited to welcome David Patrick and his family to our LSU coaching staff,” McMahon said in a release. “He is an outstanding basketball coach and an elite recruiter who has impacted winning at every stop on his journey. Coach Patrick brings tremendous experience and success to our program. He has been a Division I Head Coach, an assistant coach for the Australian National Team winning a bronze medal in the 2021 Olympics, and has coached in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

“I love Coach Patrick’s investment in player development and in building relationships. He has recruited and helped to develop multiple NBA Draft picks throughout his career. I look forward to the new ideas, solutions, and energy he will bring to our program. We can’t wait to get started this summer.”

After leaving LSU, Patrick spent two years as an assistant at TCU before leaving for the UC Riverside head coaching job. He left after two seasons in 2020 to join Arkansas as the associate head coach, a role he later held at Oklahoma, as well.

Patrick also brings NBA experience — three years as a personnel scout for the Houston Rockets from 2010-12 — and international experience to the table as he was an assistant coach for the Australian national team from 2019-21.

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LSU basketball lands JUCO big man transfer Noah Boyed

The Tigers added a promising 7-footer to the transfer class.

If there’s one thing [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] has proven at LSU, it’s that he can remake the men’s basketball roster in short order. He’s done so once again this offseason after the team took a step forward in Year 2 but still missed the NCAA tournament, and on Thursday, he added yet another piece.

JUCO center transfer [autotag]Noah Boyed[/autotag] committed to the Tigers over Oregon and Wisconsin, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. A native of St. Lucia, the McCook Community College 7-footer was originally committed to Baylor but reopened his recruitment last month.

Boyed ranks as the No. 4 JUCO prospect in the country, according to 247Sports. With McCook, he started 32 of 36 games he appeared in, averaging 11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds.

Boyed joins a recruiting class that features three top-100 prospects and ranks 15th nationally. The Tigers also brought in a trio of transfer guards this offseason in [autotag]Jordan Sears[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Dji Bailey[/autotag].

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Shaquille O’Neal offers high praise for Candace Parker after her retirement

Former LSU basketball star Shaquille O’Neal had kinds words with Candace Parker following her retirement .

Former LSU basketball player [autotag]Shaquille O’Neal[/autotag] had some kind words for Candace Parker following her recent retirement announcement.

Parker joined TNT’s “Inside the NBA” on Wednesday night to talk with Shaq and the crew.

“I just want to say: you know how I feel about you. I love you. I’m so proud of you. Good luck in your new endeavor. And I appreciate our friendship very much and I’m so proud of you,” O’Neal said.

Parker replied, thanking O’Neal for being a role model.

“I’m trying to be a businesswoman, like you, so thank you for raising the bar and continuing to be a great friend and partner for me,” Parker said.

Parker is hanging it up after 16 seasons in the WNBA. The former first-overall pick from Tennessee averaged 16 points and 8.5 rebounds per game over her lengthy career.

She won MVP twice and finished top five in voting 10 times.

Shaq played three seasons with LSU from 1989-92. He was one of the nation’s most dominant players throughout his time in Baton Rouge, averaging 21.6 points per game.

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Wisconsin basketball final Greenbrier tip-off opponent announced

Wisconsin basketball final Greenbrier tip-off opponent announced

LSU basketball program will join Wisconsin as the fourth program in the 2024-25 Greenbrier Tip-Off event, according to a recent press release.

The inaugural edition of the tournament is slated for November 22-24, 2024 and will take place at the resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

The Badgers and LSU Tigers are two of four programs named as participants, alongside Pittsburgh and UCF.

The tournament website notes that the four teams will take part in a two-game bracketed tournament. Travel packages will be available for fans starting on May 21.

The Greenbrier has yet to announce official matchups, game start times and television viewing capabilities.

Since the tournament was announced in early March, Wisconsin’s men’s basketball program has experienced a shift in personnel.

The Badgers have made three transfer splashes thus far: guard John Tonje, point guard Camren Hunter and power forward Xavier Amos. Greg Gard and his staff remain active in the portal as the program looks to improve entering 2024-25 and beyond.

His work has mainly been to mitigate the losses of departed players AJ Storr (portal), Chucky Hepburn (portal), Tyler Wahl (graduation) and Connor Essegian (portal).

In a college basketball world where most Thanksgiving tip-off tournaments take place in remote islands, Las Vegas or Florida, West Virginia will certainly be a change of pace for the Badgers.

LSU men’s basketball announced as part of inaugural Greenbriar Tip-Off field in 2024

The Tigers are heading to the mountains of West Virginia for an early season tournament.

The LSU men’s basketball team is taking a trip to West Virginia, in November to take part in the inaugural Greenbriar Tip-Off, as was announced on Wednesday.

The Tigers will join Wisconsin, Pittsburgh and UCF in the field as part of the mountain division, where they will play in a two-game bracketed tournament on Nov. 22 and 24. The event will take place at the Greenbriar Resort, which is in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Fans interested in attending the tip-off tournament can purchase travel packages beginning on May 21. Those packages include tickets to the game as well as accommodations at the resort.

LSU previously participated in the Cayman Islands Classic and Charleston Classic in the first two seasons under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], winning two games in each.

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Former LSU basketball player Naz Reid finding spotlight in NBA playoffs

Naz Reid has helped the Timberwolves jump out to a 2-0 lead over the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals

Five years after leaving LSU, former Tigers’ basketball star [autotag]Naz Reid[/autotag] is playing a pivotal role in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ NBA playoff run.

The Timberwolves jumped out to a 2-0 series lead over the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals. Reid hit double-digits in both games, scoring 16 in game one and following up with 14 more in game two.

Most of that production came from behind the three-point line. Reid is six of 12 from deep to start the series.

But perhaps his biggest impact has been on defense. The Nuggets shot 0-11 from the field when guarded by Reid in game two with Reid recording four blocks. Adding to his block total, Reid’s come up with two steals this series too.

Reid proved to be an impact player the moment he joined the league. After spending one year at LSU, he averaged 9.0 points per game as a rookie before upping that total to 11.2 in his second year.

He posted a career-high this season with 13.5 points per game while shooting 41.4% from behind the arch.

LSU’s Sweet 16 team from 2019 was one of the most talented teams in program history, but so far, Reid is the only one to go on and find sustained NBA success.

Reid will take the floor again when the Timberwolves head to Denver to continue the series with game three on Friday night. You can catch the action on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. CT.

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4-star guard Vyctorius Miller signs with LSU men’s basketball

The Tigers made things official with their third and final 2024 commit on Thursday.

The LSU men’s basketball team and coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] signed their third high school commit of the 2024 cycle on Thursday.

Four-star Los Angeles guard [autotag]Vyctorius Miller[/autotag] made things official, signing a national letter of intent with the Tigers. He was the third and final high school commit in the 2024 class to sign with LSU, joining forward [autotag]Robert Miller[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Curtis Givens III[/autotag].

All three players rank in the top 100 nationally.

Miller is the highest-rated of the group. He ranks 56th nationally, per the 247Sports Composite, and he ranks as the No. 10 shooting guard in the 2024 cycle. Miller began his high school career in Chandler, Arizona, before moving to Southern California.

LSU’s recruiting class currently ranks 13th overall, per 247Sports, and it ranks 16th nationally when you include the three transfer additions so far.

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LSU men’s basketball lands Richmond guard transfer Dji Bailey

The Tigers landed their third transfer portal commitment on Wednesday.

The LSU men’s basketball team continues to add to its transfer portal class entering Year 3 under coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag].

On Wednesday, the Tigers landed a commitment from Richmond guard transfer [autotag]Dji Bailey[/autotag], a 6-foot-5 senior from Wilson, North Carolina. Bailey has appeared in 71 games with 31 starts, 24 of which came this past season.

He was named the A-10 Most Improved Player in 2023-24 while averaging 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He also tallied career highs in points (22) against La Salle and steals (six) against Florida.

Bailey’s career field goal percentage of 56.4% also ranks fourth all-time in Spiders basketball history among players who attempted at least 300 field goals.

Bailey is the third transfer to join the Tigers this offseason, a group that is all guards so far and includes Kansas State’s [autotag]Cam Carter[/autotag] and UT-Martin’s [autotag]Jordan Sears[/autotag].

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LSU basketball’s Jordan Wright named to First-Team All-Louisiana squad

Jordan Wright was a major reason for LSU’s improvement this past season.

After an impressive season at LSU in his final season of eligibility, graduate student men’s basketball guard [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] has been named to the First-Team All-Louisiana basketball squad by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Wright, who came in this season as a transfer from Vanderbilt after playing four seasons with the Commodores, averaged 15.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals in 2023-24. The Waggaman, Louisiana, native who attended The Dunham School scored in double figures in 18 straight games at one point this season.

While it was another difficult season in Baton Rouge, Wright played a key role as the team improved from 2-16 to 9-9 in SEC play, earning a bid to the NIT in the process.

Here’s the full All-Louisiana team.

First Team

Shahada Wells, G, Gr., McNeese, Fort Worth, Texas

17.8 points per game, 4.7 assists per game, Southland Conference Player of the Year, SLC Newcomer of the Year, Major Madness First-Team All-American

Isaiah Crawford, F, Gr., Louisiana Tech, Fort Worth, Texas
16.3 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, Conference USA Player of the Year, CUSA Defensive Player of the Year, NABC All-District First Team

Daniel Batcho, F, R-Jr., Louisiana Tech, Paris, France
15.2 points per game, 9.8 rebounds per game, Conference USA Newcomer of the Year

Diante Smith, F, Sr., Nicholls, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
16.0 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, First-Team All-Southland Conference

Jordan Wright, F, Gr., LSU, Waggaman, Louisiana
15.1 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game

Player of the Year: Shahada Wells, G, McNeese
Newcomer of the Year: Shahada Wells, G, McNeese
Freshman of the Year: John Awoke, Bossier Parish Community College
Coach of the Year: Will Wade, McNeese

Second Team

Kobe Julien, F, R-Jr., UL Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
17.3 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, Second-Team All-Sun Belt

Kevin Cross, F, Sr., Tulane, Little Rock, Arkansas
17.5 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, Third-Team All-American Athletic Conference

Christian Shumate, F, Jr., McNeese, Chicago, Illinois
12.1 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game, Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year

Nick Caldwell, G/F, Sr., Southeastern Louisiana, Prairieville, Louisiana
15.4 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, First-Team All-Southland Conference

Kintavious Dozier, G, Jr., Grambling, Lanett, Alabama
13.0 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game, First-Team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference

Third Team

Kashie Natt, G, Jr., LSU-Alexandria, Rayville, Louisiana
17.4 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game, Red River Athletic Conference Player of the Year

Jordan Johnson, G, Sr., New Orleans, Memphis, Tennessee
21.3 points per game, 3.8 steals per game, Second-Team All-Southland Conference

Jamal Gibson, F, Fr., SUNO, New Orleans, Louisiana
21 points per game, 15.8 rebounds per game, Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year

DJ Richards, F, So., McNeese, Houston, Texas
11.4 points per game, 45.1 3-point shooting percentage, Southland Conference All-Tournament Team

TJ Jones, G, 5Y, Xavier, Opelousas, Louisiana
14.0 points per game, 4.8 assists per game, First-Team All-Red River Athletic Conference

Seth Thomas, F, Sr., Centenary, Kilgore, Texas
16.2 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, First-Team All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

Honorable Mention (Appeared on at least 25 percent of ballots)

CJ Carpenter, G, Sr., LSU-Shreveport, Natchitoches, Louisiana
Joe Charles, F, Jr., UL Lafayette, Carencro, Louisiana
Tra’Michael Moton, G, Gr., Grambling, Shreveport, Louisiana

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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.

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