Tag: Tyrell Ward

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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Predicting LSU basketball’s starting lineup next season

Here’s how things seem to be shaping up for Matt McMahon’s first season.

[autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] has done a fantastic job putting a roster together, and that might be an understatement.

Over the last few months, LSU’s roster has been filled out via the transfer portal, some recruiting and even convincing departing players to come back.

At this point, we have a pretty good idea about what that group will look like next year despite not having an official roster posted yet. That means we can start taking a stab at what the starting lineup will be.

This is harder than it is most years as there are so many variables surrounding these players. With talented freshmen, it’s always tough to predict if they will be ready. With transfers making the jump from a weaker conference, you never know how they will fare against consistently tougher competition. In Adam Miller’s case specifically, we don’t know what he will look like coming back from injury.

There will be plenty of competition to see how the minutes should be divided up. I also expect McMahon to play a lot of these guys as a lot of them are similar in talent and skill. There’s not much pressure on McMahon next year which means he can take some time to develop some guys and try out new things.

Here’s how we see the starting lineup breaking down as things currently stand.

LSU basketball picks up another blue-chip commitment for 2022

McMahon has now added the fourth high school recruit to the 2022 class as part of his quick turnaround.

Much has been said about the pace at which Tigers coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] has rebuilt the roster in Baton Rouge.

He salvaged what appeared to be one of the worst situations in the Power Five in just a matter of weeks, and the future looks fairly bright all of the sudden. Things look even brighter now, as McMahon has picked up his fourth commit in the 2022 cycle in [autotag]Shawn Phillips Jr.[/autotag]

The 6-foot-10 center from Dream City Christian in Glendale, Arizona, was previously committed to North Carolina State, signing back in November. But he was released from his letter of intent after the departure of assistant Mike Summey, and he reopened his recruitment.

He took an official visit to Baton Rouge on May 7 after listing LSU among a top five which also included Georgetown, Kansas State, Miami and Overtime Elite.

He’s a four-star recruit and the No. 111 player (and No. 20 center) in the 2022 recruiting class. After the Tigers saw each of their commits in the class depart following the firing of Will Wade, McMahon has put together a class that ranked No. 17 before Phillips’ addition and is sure to jump even more now.

Phillips is the third blue-chip addition to that group, joining top-100 prospects in [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag].

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Matt McMahon is rebuilding LSU basketball at lightning speed

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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