McMahon has turned the program around in a very short amount of time.
Two months ago, LSU basketball was in shambles. Every scholarship player had entered the transfer portal, and the rebuild ahead looked as messy as any in recent memory.
There was speculation that some big names wouldn’t even accept the job because of the position the program was in. Not only had every player left, but NCAA sanctions were looming (and they still are).
LSU is a big-time athletics program, but in basketball, it’s far from a blue blood. The program doesn’t recruit itself like Duke or Kentucky does.
When [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] took the job, he was staring down the impossible. Nobody expected much out of him for his first year or two on the job — hence the seven-year contract given to him providing security and breathing room.
The roster McMahon was going to be working with during his first season was supposed to be a collection of mid-major transfers, three-star recruits, and maybe a couple of guys that followed him from Murray State. Whatever that expectation was, McMahon has far exceeded it.
McMahon was able to bring three of his players from Murray State in [autotag]Justice Hill[/autotag], [autotag]KJ Williams[/autotag], and [autotag]Trae Hannibal[/autotag].
That trio makes up three of the top four scorers from a Murray State team that went 31-3. Williams led the team in scoring with 18 points/game on his way to winning conference player of the year.
Hill averaged 13.4 points and 5.1 assists per contest as a sophomore and Hannibal proved to be a solid piece as well with 9.2 points and 5.1 rebounds on average.
Murray State didn’t face top competition, but a 31-3 record is a 31-3 record no matter the schedule, and McMahon brought the core with him.
Then there are the guys McMahon has gotten out of high school, which might be his most impressive feat considering how late in the game it is for the 2022 recruiting class. So far, the Tigers have added forwards [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag].
Ward is a four-star on average, but On3 has him slated as a five-star. Regardless, he’s a top recruit and there were a lot of people who didn’t think LSU would be landing players of Ward’s caliber again for a few years.
Reed was another big get, ranking as one of the 10 best power forwards in his class.
All of this was cemented last week when [autotag]Adam Miller[/autotag] announced he’d be returning to LSU. Miller transferred from Illinois prior to last season but tore his ACL before the year even started. When Miller went down, LSU’s offense took a large hit that was evident throughout the year.
If he was healthy last season, it’s likely that LSU doesn’t go home in the first round. That team was one scorer away from being dangerous. With Miller back in the fold, the talented freshman, and the guys from Murray State, McMahon is now working with a competent roster.
Along with Miller, McMahon also managed to get [autotag]Mwani Wilkinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Justice Williams[/autotag] back from the portal, two players who are likely to contribute next season. Wilkinson, despite having a limited role, was a starter last year.
McMahon has proven he can get the most out of his team, and if he gets the most out of this one, is it crazy to see LSU as an eight or nine seed? Of course, they’d have to avoid a postseason ban, but crazier things have happened in this sport.
McMahon took over a program in dire straits and has already laid a foundation. If this track continues, it’s not hard to see a scenario where he keeps LSU basketball relevant at a time when it looked like that relevancy was fading.
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