Tag: Trae Hannibal

LSU men’s basketball lands first transfer portal commitment from Kansas State’s Cam Carter

The Tigers have landed their first commitment from the transfer portal this offseason.

After the conclusion of Year 2 under coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], which saw the Tigers’ season end in the first round of the NIT against North Texas, LSU has landed its first men’s basketball transfer portal commitment of the cycle.

On Friday, Kansas State guard [autotag]Cam Carter[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Tigers, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. Carter finished his high school career in Virginia, but he’s a native of Donaldsonvile, Louisiana.

He’ll be making his return to the SEC after spending one year at Mississippi State before he spent the last two years in Manhattan, Kansas, with the Wildcats.

Carter was a rotational player with the Bulldogs but started all 70 games he appeared in at Kansas State. He averaged 14.6 points, five rebounds and 2.5 assists this season.

It’s a major pickup for the Tigers, which are set to lose both [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] and [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] as well as possibly [autotag]Jalen Cook[/autotag] from the backcourt.

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

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.

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

Instant Analysis: LSU men’s basketball finishes regular season on a high note with Senior Night win over Missouri

LSU will be the No. 8 seed at the SEC Tournament in Nashville next week.

LSU fittingly honored its seniors on Saturday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, beating Missouri 84-80 in the regular season finale.

Coach Matt McMahon’s team will enter the SEC Tournament at 17-14 with a 9-9 record in league play after finishing 2-16 a season ago. Missouri, meanwhile, finishes 0-18 in conference play in what has been a very disappointing campaign after reaching the NCAA Tournament last season.

LSU spent most of the first half playing from behind against Mizzou, which shot just 29% in the frame. However, the Tigers were even worse at 25%, and they found themselves in a 35-29 deficit at the half.

Missouri struggled to maintain that lead, however. LSU retook the lead in the opening minutes of the second half, and it went on to expand upon it. The Tigers led by as much as 21 with less than five minutes to play, and while Mizzou would cut into that lead and even get it within three with four seconds to play after some impressive shooting down the stretch, it was too little, too late.

[autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] led the way with 24 points to go with five rebounds and five assists and [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] scored 10 as LSU went with an all-senior starting five. [autotag]Hunter Dean[/autotag] scored 12 with six rebounds in an elevated role, while [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] scored seven with 10 rebounds. [autotag]Mwani Wilkinson[/autotag] also got to start, finishing with four points.

Coming off the bench, [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] scored 14 while [autotag]Mike Williams III[/autotag] totaled 10.

LSU will be the No. 8 seed in the SEC Tournament in Nashville next week and will begin its run on Thursday against No. 9-seeded Mississippi State.

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

Instant Analysis: LSU men’s basketball’s hot streak comes to an end vs. Mississippi State

The Tigers couldn’t keep up the momentum against the Bulldogs on Saturday night.

LSU turned in back-to-back impressive wins over ranked opponents in the last week, but the Tigers couldn’t make that streak three on Saturday night against Mississippi State as the Bulldogs breezed to an 87-67 win at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, but LSU led by as much as six in the frame. However, the Bulldogs ultimately stretched to a seven-point lead at the half, and that was a sign of what was to come.

The Tigers were outscored by 13 in the second half as the team shot just 41.4%. It was a big game offensively for [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag], who led the team with 22 points, but [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] was the only other player who scored in double figures with 14 points.

LSU really struggled to defend Josh Hubbard, who finished with 32 points, and Tolu Smith added 19.

The Tigers now fall to 14-13 (6-8 SEC) on the year. They’ll be back in action on Tuesday when they host Georgia.

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

Instant Analysis: LSU overpowered in road loss to No. 6 Tennessee

The Tigers rallied in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to erase the big early hole they found themselves in on the road.

LSU’s men’s basketball team ultimately couldn’t keep the momentum from the Arkansas win going on the road against a top-10 opponent. The Tigers fell at Tennessee 88-68, dropping to 12-10 on the year and 4-5 in SEC play.

With [autotag]Jalen Cook[/autotag] unavailable, LSU had about the worst start to the game possible. Tennessee jumped out to an early 13-0 lead, and while the Tigers would respond to cut the deficit to just six, they couldn’t hold off the Volunteers for long.

The Vols shot 58.1% with three players scoring in double figures, led by Dalton Knecht, and LSU struggled to keep up with a sub-40% shooting percentage as Tennessee raced out to a 50-27 halftime lead.

LSU would not go down without a fight in the second half, however. It trailed by 23 at the nine-minute mark, but a 13-0 run cut the Tennessee lead to just 10.

However, the Tigers never got it back within single digits as the Volunteers pulled away to a 20-point win in the final minutes after shooting above 50% for the game.

LSU had an encouraging performance on the boards, outrebounding the Vols 40-26 as [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] led the way with 11, but it shot just 41.4%. Only [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] (16 points) and [autotag]Derek Fountain[/autotag] (11) scored in double figures.

Tennessee, meanwhile, had four. LSU had particular difficulty containing Knecht, who went off for a game-high 27 points.

It’s a disappointing loss, but it’s one LSU can’t dwell on as it has another huge opportunity coming up on Saturday when it hosts Alabama, which is coming off a road loss to rival Auburn on Wednesday night.

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

Matt McMahon discusses switching the starting lineup in Arkansas win

The main objective is to find a way to win. That is exactly what LSU accomplished on Saturday.

Before the LSU Tigers took on the Arkansas Razorbacks last Saturday, Tigers head coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] decided to make a change to the starting lineup. he decided to start [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] and have [autotag]Jalen Cook[/autotag] come off of the bench.

The lineup change did not seem to affect Cook at all as he had a great game. He finished with 20 points, three assists, and three rebounds in 20 minutes and 52 seconds on the court. Cook was 5-for-8 from the floor, 3-for-5 behind the three-point line, and 7-for-7 from the charity stripe.

After the game, McMahon was asked what his thought process was on making the change before the game.

“Just a coach’s decision,” McMahon said, per On3. “I thought we needed to change. Really, that’s all there is to it.

“I think, sometimes, everyone gets so concerned – ‘Who starts?’, ‘Who does this?’, ‘Who does that?’. The ultimate goal is just, for us, to find ways to win. And for each player to perform at their very best,” McMahon stated. “So, sometimes? You change.”

The main objective is to find a way to win. That is exactly what LSU accomplished.

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

Instant Analysis: LSU men’s basketball’s comeback bid falls short at No. 16 Auburn

A 21-2 LSU run in the second half wasn’t enough to erase a big deficit.

The Tigers made a valiant second-half comeback effort against Auburn on Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough in a 93-78 loss on the road.

It looked like things were going to get ugly in Neville Arena at first. LSU found itself down 17 at halftime, and AU led by as much as 28 in the second half. A 21-2 Tigers run flipped the script of the game, and they cut the lead to single digits, but it wasn’t ultimately enough.

LSU shot just 42.4% for the game, though [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] each scored 18 points, while [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] scored 13 and [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] scored 12. It was a sloppy game for the offense, which turned the ball over 17 times.

The loss interrupts the Tigers’ four-game losing streak. They fall to 10-6 on the year and 2-1 in SEC play. LSU will be back in action on Wednesday when it hosts an Ole Miss team that’s 15-1 on the year.

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

Instant Analysis: LSU men’s basketball overcomes halftime deficit to beat Alabama State

It wasn’t a complete game, but the second half of Wednesday’s win gave the Tigers something to build on with ranked Texas up next.

After the first half against Alabama State on Wednesday night, it looked like LSU’s men’s basketball team was heading for another rough loss.

But after trailing at the break, coach Matt McMahon’s Tigers team took control in the second half. They pulled away to win 74-56 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, moving to 6-4 on the season.

LSU led for most of the first half, but it never managed to pull away with its largest lead in the frame being just six points. With an 8-0 run to end the half, the Hornets managed to take a 34-30 lead to the locker room despite being outshot 45% to 41%.

[autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag], who had nine points, was a bright spot. Otherwise, it was an ugly half for the Tigers, who were outrebounded 19-15 and had eight turnovers. They had no answer for ASU guard TJ Madlock, who paced his team with 15 first-half points.

The second half was all LSU, however. It outscored Alabama State 44-22 in the final 20 minutes, shooting 15 of 26 from the field in that span.

[autotag]Mike Williams III[/autotag] made the start and ultimately led the team with 15 points, while Reed and [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] scored 13 and [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] scored 11. The Tigers also tightened up on the boards in the second half, doubling the Hornets up in rebounds after losing that battle in the first half.

While it wasn’t a complete game, the second-half performance gives LSU something to build on as it prepares to head to Houston with a huge opportunity in front of it against a ranked Texas team on Saturday.

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 men’s basketball dominates Bahamas in exhibition

LSU didn’t need a late comeback this time around.

After the Tigers needed a comeback to get past Puerto Rico in Monday’s exhibition from Paradise Island, Bahamas, coach Matt McMahon’s LSU men’s basketball team took care of business easily on Tuesday against the host nation.

The Tigers dominated the Bahamas in a 120-59 win, using a 21-0 run in the second quarter to overcome a slow start.

“I think we learned a lot from yesterday’s game when we kind of fell apart there in the third quarter,” McMahon said in a release. “I was just so pleased with the character of the team and with so many new faces we found a way to come together, get over the hump, get the stops we needed and had guys hit big shots for us as we found a way to win. I think that carried over into today’s game. I loved the unselfishness that we played with, having 27 assists. I thought after a slow start on the defensive end in the first quarter we were a lot more disciplined, active and aggressive on that side of the ball for the final three quarters.”

[autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] led the team in scoring once again with 18 points on 6 of 7 shooting alongside big man [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag], who also scored 18 points on 8 of 11 shooting.

“I thought Will (Baker) showed his versatility,” McMahon said. “He scored off the drives from the elbow area. I thought what helped him get freed up inside was that he set a lot of great screens and that gave him the opportunity to create an angle in the post. The guys did a terrific job feeding the ball into him. I was pleased in the second half that we were able to cut our turnovers down, only six there. I thought we were a lot more fundamentally sound than the first three halves we have played here.”

[autotag]Carlos Stewart[/autotag] had 16 points, [autotag]Hunter Dean[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] had 15, while true freshman [autotag]Corey Chest[/autotag] scored 10. [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] also nearly recorded a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Sophomore forward [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] also made his first appearance after missing most of the summer with a knee injury.

“It was great to see Jalen (Reed) back,” McMahon said. “He has missed most of the summer with an injury and just got back last week. He’s had really good individual workouts here and was cleared to play, so I thought you saw his improvement on the defensive glass that was really good today and his ability to put the ball on the floor and make plays for not only himself but others as well. Really happy and excited to see him back on the court.”

LSU will finish up its exhibition tour in the Bahamas on Thursday when it faces Argentinas Obras Sanitarias at 1 p.m. CT.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=698014239]

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

Photos: LSU basketball falls vs. Tennessee to drop 6th straight

The Tigers’ SEC woes continued on Saturday.

LSU’s SEC woes continued on Saturday afternoon as coach Matt McMahon’s basketball team dropped a 77-56 game at home against the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers.

The loss marks six straight for LSU in conference play as things are starting to spiral for the Tigers. With a road game against Arkansas coming up next, things are looking pretty bleak for LSU in Year 1 under McMahon.

The Tigers’ offensive woes continued in the first half of this game as they found themselves down 17 at the break, and despite shooting nearly 60% in the second frame, they couldn’t overcome the rough start.

[autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag] scored 16 points while [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag] had 10, but LSU allowed 22 to UT guard Jordan James.

Here were the photos from LSU’s disappointing loss on Saturday.