Tag: Matt McMahon

LSU men’s basketball’s Mwani Wilkinson enters transfer portal

Mwani Wilkinson entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer on Friday.

After a loss in its NIT opener to North Texas, the LSU men’s basketball team has seen its first piece of postseason attrition.

On Friday, senior forward [autotag]Mwani Wilkinson[/autotag] entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. He will have one remaining season of eligibility.

A four-year player for the Tigers, he appeared in 100 games with 57 starts. He was a regular starter in 2021-22 and 2022-23 before his season ended due to injury after 12 games last year. As a senior this season, he appeared in 27 games with four starts while averaging 2.1 points and a rebound.

Wilkinson initially entered the transfer portal when [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] was hired, but he opted to stay.

Now, he’ll be moving on to greener pastures, after all.

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Shaq’s son Shaqir O’Neal enters the transfer portal

Shaqir O’Neal appeared in 20 games this season with one start at Texas Southern.

Another son of former LSU star and NBA Hall of Famer [autotag]Shaquille O’Neal[/autotag] has hit the transfer portal.

Shaq’s son [autotag]Shaqir O’Neal[/autotag], who previously played for Texas Southern, has opted to transfer. A 6-foot-8, 201-pound forward from Los Angeles, O’Neal was a redshirt sophomore for the Tigers this season.

He’s appeared in 20 games with one start in each of the last two seasons, and in 2023-24, he averaged 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds.

A three-star recruit who attended Union Grove High School in McDonough, Georgia, O’Neal ranked as the No. 284 nationally in the 2021 class, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. His brother, Shareef, began his career at UCLA before transferring to LSU.

The elder O’Neal brother appeared in 24 games as a backup for the Tigers over two seasons. He went undrafted in 2022 and briefly spent time with the G League Ignite.

Shaqir is a largely unproven player, but coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] could take a flyer on a legacy.

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Instant Analysis: LSU men’s basketball’s season ends in NIT opener against North Texas

The Tigers’ season came to an end on Tuesday night with a home loss in the NIT opener.

LSU’s stay in the NIT lasted just one game as the fourth-seeded Tigers were ousted in their opener with an 84-77 loss on its home court to defending tournament champion North Texas.

[autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] finishes his second year at the helm in Baton Rouge with a 17-16 record and moves to 31-35 overall as the head coach of LSU men’s basketball.

The first 10 minutes or so were back and forth, but LSU was in control. That changed at the eight-minute mark when North Texas began a 13-2 run to take the lead, which it wouldn’t surrender for the rest of the half.

With the Tigers shooting 11 of 31, UNT led by as many as 11 points and ultimately took a 38-30 lead to the locker room.

LSU came out of the game hot in the second half, making five of its first seven shots as it cut the Mean Green lead to four points. But it couldn’t sustain that run, and North Texas quickly regained control and stretched what was at that point a game-high 18-point lead.

The Tigers had one final rally in them, and they cut the lead down to just five in the final minute to make things interesting, but they couldn’t erase the deficit as their season came to an end.

[autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] had a huge game in what was ultimately his final collegiate outing, scoring a game-high 25 points. [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] added 15, but even shooting above 50% in the second half couldn’t get the Tigers out of the hole.

After a disappointing Year 1 for McMahon, who had to rebuild nearly the entire roster from scratch, LSU showed signs of progress in Year 2. Now, however, McMahon’s group will be expected to take another leap and compete for an NCAA Tournament bid next season.

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LSU coach Matt McMahon entering rematch vs. North Texas in NIT opener with a blank slate

This will be the second meeting between the two teams this year, with the Tigers winning the first by five on a neutral court.

When LSU hosts North Texas at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Tuesday night to kick off the 2024 NIT, it will pit two teams that have some familiarity with each other head-to-head.

This will be the second matchup of the season between the two teams after LSU won the first 66-61 in Charleston on a neutral court. Both teams have changed a lot since then, however, particularly LSU.

The Tigers hit their stride toward the back end of SEC play, and the Mean Green have improved as well. Coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] said he isn’t relying too much on what he learned from the first matchup against UNT.

“I’m not sure how much the familiarity helps with this one,” McMahon said, per On3. “I believe it’s been 125 days since we played. I think we’re a lot different team from that game. Personnel, rotation is a little different. Style of play has certainly evolved since the season has gone along.”

McMahon did say that the team knows how physical North Texas can be, and that will help in preparation.

“Unfortunately, I think they’re an a lot better team as well from when we played them back in November. But I think there probably is a good thing for our players having gone through that game,” McMahon said. “They have immediate respect for the opponent because they know how tough and physical and aggressively they play, how disruptive they are on the defensive end of the floor, their ability to — they hit 12 threes in that game in the first matchup against us. So, I do think there’s some benefits to that familiarity from the first matchup.”

The Tigers are the No. 4 seed in their bracket and would likely face top-seeded Seton Hall with a win. LSU will host North Texas at the PMAC at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday night.

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LSU men’s basketball earns an NIT bid, will host North Texas in opener

The Tigers’ season will continue as they open the NIT against its defending champion.

After a strong finish to the season, the LSU men’s basketball team isn’t done playing yet.

Despite the team’s first-game exit at the SEC Tournament this week, the Tigers earned a bid to the NIT. It will be a No. 4 seed in the tournament and will host North Texas in its opener. With a win, it would draw the top seed in the bracket, Seton Hall.

The Mean Green are 18-14 on the year and are the NIT’s reigning champions. Under first-year coach Ross Hodge, North Texas finished 10-8 in American Athletic Conference play but exited the conference tournament in the quarterfinals with a six-point loss to Florida Atlantic.

Here’s a look at LSU’s quarter of the bracket.

The Tigers will play either Tuesday or Wednesday. The day and time will be announced later.

UPDATE: LSU will face North Texas on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

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LSU guard Jalen Cook suspended for violation of team rules, Matt McMahon announces

Jalen Cook has missed the last five games and is now suspended for failing to meet “team requirements.”

LSU guard [autotag]Jalen Cook[/autotag] hasn’t appeared in a game since a loss to Florida on Feb. 13, and it seems that absence will continue.

On Monday, coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] announced that Cook is currently suspended from the team for failing to meet “team requirements.” Cook initially missed four games with a leg injury, but he was not with the team on the road for Saturday’s victory against Vanderbilt.

Trae Hannibal has been starting in Cook’s place.

A native of Walker, Louisiana, Cook began his career at LSU but transferred following his true freshman season and spent two years at Tulane. He returned in 2023-24 but was forced to sit out the first 10 games as a two-time transfer.

Cook’s loss is significant as he currently leads LSU in points per game (15.6) and assists per game (2.8).

McMahon also announced that guard [autotag]Carlos Stewart[/autotag] (knee soreness) isn’t likely to return this season while [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag] (dislocated shoulder) is taking a medical redshirt but is expected to be back healthy next season.

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Checking in on the SEC men’s basketball standings entering final week of the regular season

The Tigers sit at 8-8 in conference play with two games remaining.

With two games to go in the men’s basketball regular season, LSU continues to impress down the stretch.

Winners of four of their last five, the Tigers sit at 8-8 in conference play after winning just two SEC games last season. While an NCAA Tournament bid is likely out of the question barring an impressive run in Nashville next week, an NIT bid is still very much in play, which would be a good sign of progress in Year 2 under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag].

First, though, LSU has two more regular season games against Arkansas and Missouri. It will likely be favored against both and has a good chance of reaching the double-digit win threshold in conference play.

In the meantime, here’s how the standings look with two games to go.

What two straight ranked wins mean for LSU men’s basketball, Matt McMahon

The Tigers are closing out the season with some momentum on their side.

For a while, it looked like LSU was heading for another rough season under coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag].

The Tigers men’s basketball team had lost six of seven games, but the last two games have given reason for hope. They’ve notched back-to-back ranked wins over South Carolina and Kentucky, most recently in buzzer-beater fashion against the Wildcats at home.

While an NCAA tournament bid is likely a longshot for this team barring an SEC tournament title, this team is ending the year with some momentum, and that’s what McMahon takes away from the recent success.

“Well, I think it’s certainly a big step for us,” he said, per On3. “It’s not every week, you know, you go on the road down 16 in the second half against the No. 11 team, you’re down by 16 and and come back and and find a way to win in front of 17,000 people, then come back home and play the No. 17 team and be down 15 in the second half and come back and find a way to win at the buzzer and celebrate with all your fans.”

Still, the Tigers can’t afford to rest on their laurels, especially with two more Quadrant 2 games still left on the schedule. They have the opportunity to end the year on a high note, and that begins when they host Mississippi State on Saturday night.

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How to watch, betting odds as LSU men’s basketball hosts Mississippi State on Saturday night

The Tigers have won back-to-back ranked games and look to continue rolling against the Bulldogs.

The Tigers looked like they were heading for another losing season in Year 2 under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], but the last two games have shown real glimpses of progress.

LSU’s men’s basketball team has recorded back-to-back upsets against ranked opponents in South Carolina and Kentucky, and now it’s back in action at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center against another potential NCAA tournament team in Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs sit at 18-8 and 7-6 in SEC play after a four-game winning streak of their own. Most recently, they beat rival Ole Miss.

Here’s everything you need to know as the Tigers look to win their third game in a row, including the latest odds from BetMGM.

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LSU men’s basketball showing progress in Matt McMahon’s second year

Matt McMahon has LSU basketball trending up in his second year.

LSU men’s basketball upset Kentucky in Baton Rouge earlier this week, giving the Tigers back-to-back wins over ranked opponents.

Matt McMahon needed some momentum. Prior to the last two games, LSU had lost six of seven.

But now, the Tigers are two games over .500 and have already tripled their conference win total from last year. This is what you want to see from a coach in his second year.

This year was rough at times and there have been moments where the progress wasn’t obvious, but now there’s a clear trend up.

Here’s where LSU has shown the most drastic improvement from last year.