Tag: Matt McMahon

Updating the status of the NCAA investigation into LSU basketball

The program reportedly has no intention of self-imposing penalties in the basketball investigation.

On Thursday, the NCAA announced its findings in its ongoing investigation into the LSU football program and, specifically, the actions of former offensive line coach [autotag]James Cregg[/autotag].

The NCAA found that Cregg had impermissible contact with recruits during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period in 2020, and it levied a three-year show-cause against Cregg and one year of probation against the Tigers.

All in all, the penalties aren’t particularly severe, and all were self-imposed by the university. They include a minuscule $5,000 fine and several minor recruiting limitations. However, this isn’t the only issue the school currently has with the NCAA.

In March, basketball coach [autotag]Will Wade[/autotag] was fired for cause due to the NCAA Notice of Allegations against the basketball program, which accused him of five Level I violations in addition to several other allegations of misconduct. Per Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellinger, that investigation is still ongoing and will likely carry into next year.

However, when the ruling from the NCAA eventually comes down, you likely won’t see as proactive of a response from LSU the second time around. According to a report from The Athletic’s Brody Miller, the basketball program has no plans to self-impose penalties in cooperation with the NCAA investigation.

We’ll have to wait to see exactly what impacts the ongoing investigation has on the basketball program under new coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], but it seems the NCAA decision will carry a lot more weight this time around.

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2025 power forward set to visit LSU

The Tigers are already reaching out to a sophomore prospect in Parker Jefferson.

[autotag]Parker Jefferson[/autotag] is a 2025 6-foot-10, 230-pound power forward from Waxahachie, Texas, where he plays for Waxahachie High School. He currently holds offers from LSU, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and SMU.

Jefferson’s signing date is a long way out, but he’s already taking some visits and will be in Baton Rouge in September.

“I’ll visit (LSU) on Sept. 17,” Jefferson told On3. “I don’t know too much about LSU, but they look like they got a good environment over there. My parents are from Arkansas, so they are kind of their rivals. I want to go down to Baton Rouge and explore what they got.”

[autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] was named the head coach of the Tigers last offseason and he has since totally rebuilt the LSU roster heading into the 2022 season and has one commit for the 2023 class.

Jefferson is just a sophomore in high school so it will be a couple of years before he receives an official ranking but that hasn’t stopped a lot of coaches from reaching out to the big man.

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LSU makes the final three for four-star point guard Jizzle James

James is the son of former NFL star Edgerrin James.

[autotag]Jizzle James[/autotag] is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound point guard in the class of 2023. The four-star prospect and son of former NFL star Edgerrin James recently announced the final three schools he is considering committing to, and the Tigers made the list.

They join the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] has come into Baton Rouge firing on all cylinders as he has totally rebuilt the entire team for this season and he is now working on building the best class possible for next year. He recently got his first commitment for the 2023 class in four-star power forward Corey Chest from Branson, Missouri.

James plays for Olympia High School in Orlando. He averaged 25 points per game and five rebounds per game in 28 games played. The Titans finished last season 21-8 with a loss in the regional semifinals of the Florida 7A tournament.

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LSU to host top-75 2023 basketball recruit next month

Kaden Cooper will be on campus from Sept. 8-10. He also has visits set for Alabama and Kansas in September.

LSU basketball coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] is looking to build on his 2023 recruiting class after landing his first commitment earlier this month in four-star Louisiana prospect [autotag]Corey Chest[/autotag].

He and the Tigers in the mix for another top 2023 recruit in [autotag]Kaden Cooper[/autotag], a small forward from Ada, Oklahoma, who plays for The Skills Factory. Cooper is the No. 57 overall player in the country, per the 247Sports Composite, and he will be taking an official visit to LSU this fall from Sept. 8-10. He will also take trips to Kansas (Sept. 1-3) and Alabama (Sept. 22-24).

The news was initially reported on Twitter by 24/7 High School Hoops.

Cooper picked up an offer from LSU in April, and in July, he released a top 10 that also includes Gonzaga, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Kansas, Texas, Alabama, Memphis, and Georgia Tech. Cooper has already taken official visits this summer to Spokane to see the Zags and to Norman to meet with the Sooners.

“The LSU coaches and I have a really great bond and I’ve had a great time understanding how they see me and what they expect from me, which is to come in and kill,” he told On3. “Talking about their visit is an exciting thing.”

LSU is not without competition for the blue-chip prospect, and it will have to beat out some geographically closer schools like the Oklahoma teams, Kansas and Texas, but it seems to be squarely in the mix here. If McMahon can hit on just one or two more of his top targets, this could be a special class for the Tigers in spite of the slow start.

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Tigers make the final seven for four-star shooting guard

The Tigers are in the mix for one of the top players this cycle.

[autotag]Davin Cosby[/autotag], a top-100 recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, recently dropped a list of the final seven schools he is considering committing to, and LSU made the cut.

Cosby is a 6-foot-5, 190-pound shooting guard and four-star recruit from Richmond, Virginia, where he plays for Word of God Christian Academy.

The Tigers join Alabama, Auburn, NC State, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wake Forest in the hunt for the talented shooting guard. Cosby is ranked as a four-star shooting guard by On3, which lists as the No. 90 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class.

New head coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] will enter his first season as the head coach of LSU this winter. He has already landed a talented group of players for the 2022-23 season, and he is making his mark on the recruiting trail for the 2023 cycle, as well.

He recently landed four-star power forward [autotag]Corey Chest[/autotag] from Branson, Missouri. Chest is currently the only commitment of the 2023 recruiting class, but there is still plenty of time for coach McMahon to land some more great players.

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LSU lands first basketball commitment in 2023 class

The Tigers landed the top prospect in Louisiana in power forward Corey Chest.

LSU’s wait to add the first name to its 2023 recruiting class has come to an end.

On Tuesday, the Tigers landed four-star Eleanor McMain (New Orleans) power forward [autotag]Corey Chest[/autotag] over Houston, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Overtime Elite. Chest is the top-ranked player in the state of Louisiana and the No. 75 player overall, per the 247Sports Composite.

Chest has said LSU feels “like home” and praised the family aspect and style of the new coaching staff under coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag].

He picked up an offer from the Tigers on Dec. 21 and officially visited on June 8. Kansas got in the mix late with an offer on June 18, but it wasn’t enough to pull Chest away from the flagship program in the state.

The 6-foot-8 player is known for his physical playstyle, which should help the frontcourt tremendously in the years to come.

With only one commitment, LSU’s class ranks just 41st in the country, as things currently stand. But McMahon is far from done, and the Tigers are in the mix for several other recruits in the class.

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LSU’s Jalen Reed listed among top freshmen in the SEC

On3 listed Reed among the top-10 true freshmen in the SEC entering the 2022-23 season.

Between the transfer portal and the 2022 recruiting class, coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] immediately brought a stable of talent to LSU’s depleted roster.

In addition to landing several experienced players in the portal, he also added the No. 15 recruiting class in college basketball in 2022. That group of four players is headlined by [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag], a 6-foot-10 power forward from southern California who 247Sports rated as the No. 69 player in the class.

On3’s Jamie Shaw recently released his list of the 10 top true freshmen in the SEC, and Reed came in at No. 10. Small forward [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag], who 247Sports actually ranks higher than Reed, was listed among the other names to watch.

Height/Weight: 6-10/230
High School: Los Angeles (CA) So Cal Academy
On3 Consensus: No. 61

Jalen Reed simply moves in a way many 6-foot-10 players do not. Another player that On3 was higher on than the industry consensus. The late-blooming big is the son of former SEC player of the year Justin Reed (Ole Miss). Reed grew three or four inches in his last two years of high school, so he is still coming into his own physically.

There is depth on the LSU roster, so immediate playing time may not be necessary. But LSU head coach Matt McMahon could have a tough time keeping Reed off the floor by the end of the season. It may not happen immediately, but it may; watch for him to catch NBA personnel’s eyes too.

When LSU takes the court this fall, there will be a lot of new faces, including in the starting lineup. This team acquired quite a bit of talent this offseason, but Reed’s size (and athleticism relative to it) could make him a key part of the rotation as a true freshman.

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Tigers a finalist for top-50 2023 shooting guard

The Tigers are listed as the favorite by On3 to land the elite backcourt player.

New LSU basketball coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] is still searching for his first commitment in the 2023 class, but the Tigers are in the mix for a number of top prospects.

One of those players, four-star Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) shooting guard Wesley Yates, cut his list of teams down to nine, and LSU made the cut. The Tigers are joined by Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Stanford, Texas and Washington.

Yates is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound player who ranks as the No. 31 overall recruit in the 2023 class. He’s considering a number of schools in his home state of Texas, but he’s also considering a few SEC programs.

“It’s close to home, and I got a real good relationship with the coaches,” Yates said of LSU, according to On3. “Coach (Casey) Long is my guy, and you got Coach (Matt) McMahon, the head coach, who developed Ja Morant. It’s just crazy to know he did that at Murray State, and he still talks to Ja today. They have shown me how I can develop my game and how they can develop me into a pro. They play in the SEC, which is a big stage. I got a visit set with them on September 10; it’s the week LSU plays Southern in football, so it’ll be fun.”

On3 lists LSU as a slim favorite for Yates, giving them a 27.7% chance of landing him, ahead of the Longhorns, Auburn and the Cardinal.

McMahon did an impressive job this offseason replacing a roster that had largely dissipated following the season. He landed the No. 15 class in 2022, and though he’s still waiting for his first pledge in the bump class, landing a player like Yates would quickly ease any concerns.

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Tigers offer 5-star small forward in 2024 class

The Tigers are throwing their hat in the ring for Liam McNeely, one of the top players in the country in the 2024 cycle.

[autotag]Liam McNeeley[/autotag] is a 6-foot-7, 190-pound small forward from Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. Montverde is one of the best high school basketball teams in the country, finishing last season 23-4, and it produces top college prospects every year.

McNeeley is transferring to Montverde Academy from John Paul II High School in Plano, Texas. The Cardinals finished last season 31-7 and won the TAPPS 6A State Championship with a 66-56 win over Concordia Lutheran.

Film Analysis: McNeeley is a young guy with a very smooth shot from the perimeter. He does a great job of using his length to grab rebounds and create more space on the floor on the offensive side.

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Where does Joe Lunardi have LSU in his latest 2023 bracket prediction?

Lunardi sees the Tigers being a bubble team in Matt McMahon’s first campaign.

It’s never too early for some bracketology.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi released his prediction for how the bracket will shape up in 2023. LSU did not make the field of 68 in that projection, but he had it in the Next Four Out.

If the Tigers even come close to the tournament in 2023, I think fans have to consider it a success. This was a program on the brink of ruin not that long ago, but new coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] has worked some magic rebuilding this roster and getting some key pieces back.

LSU will have talent on the floor and a coach that knows how to win. It’s no guarantee that the team will even be eligible for the postseason as we wait for the situation with the NCAA to be resolved.

The schedule is sure to be tough again as basketball around the SEC continues to get even better, but the Tigers will have their chances to impress the committee.

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