Tag: Will Baker

Instant Analysis: LSU men’s basketball falls to Dayton on last-second heartbreaker in Charleston Classic opener

The Tigers squandered a major opportunity on Thursday evening in Charleston.

LSU’s men’s basketball team looked like it was going to bounce back from the loss to Nicholls in tremendous fashion with a win over Dayton for nearly 40 minutes on Thursday afternoon, but a gutsy comeback and last-second go-ahead three gave the Flyers the 70-67 win in the quarterfinal round of the Charleston Classic.

After a tightly contested first half that saw the Tigers take a 32-30 lead to the locker room, they stretched that lead to as much as 15 with under 10 minutes to play in the game. But Dayton went on a 17-2 run to get back in the game, and Nate Santos’ shot in the final seconds proved to be the game-winner as a Carlos Stewart three fell short at the buzzer.

LSU finished the game shooting above 50% as a team, but it wasn’t as efficient down the stretch and had eight second-half turnovers.

[autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] was a bright spot, leading the team with 16 points, while [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] scored 12 and [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] scored 10. Defensively, LSU held the Flyers under 40% shooting but struggled to contain stars Santos (19 points), Javon Bennett (16) and Koby Brea (13).

It was an excellent opportunity to earn a win over a possible tournament team, but now the 1-2 Tigers will have to look elsewhere to start rebuilding their resume. They will be back in action on Friday morning against North Texas, which lost 53-52 against St. John’s. at 10:30 a.m. CT.

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LSU men’s basketball rolls in opener against Mississippi Valley State

LSU is trying to erase last year’s disappointing campaign, and it got off to a nice start Monday night.

The Tigers badly want to erase a disappointing Year 1 under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], and they’re certainly off to a great start.

LSU’s men’s basketball team rolled in its season opener against Mississippi Valley State, winning 106-60 in our first look at this new, transfer-heavy group.

It was a fantastic night for the offense, which shot 57.6% from the field. The real standout was [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag], a Nevada transfer who went off for a game-high 29 points on 10 of 11 shooting. Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] also scored in double figures with 12 points, as did Kentucky transfer [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] with 11 each.

It’s hard to find much fault with the defense, either, which held the Devils to 38.2% shooting from the field. LSU also forced 22 turnovers, which resulted in 35 points.

The Tigers will face tougher opponents this season, and it’s too early to tell if this team has taken a substantive leap. But this was an encouraging way to start, and we’ll see if this team can keep it up when it returns to the court to host Nicholls on Friday night.

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LSU men’s basketball starts season with huge exhibition win over Louisiana Christian

The Tigers began the 2023-24 season with a 132-44 exhibition win over NAIA Louisiana Christian.

LSU’s men’s basketball team enters the 2023-24 season looking to wash away the bad taste from last season’s losing record and 2-16 finish in SEC play. The Tigers certainly got off to a nice start in Year 2 under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], taking down NAIA Louisiana Christian 132-44.

Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] led the way for the LSU offense, which shot 73.1% from the field as a team. He scored 19 points followed by [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] (19 points) and [autotag]Mwani Wilkinson[/autotag] (17).

All in all, seven Tigers scored in double figures. Transfers [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag] (15 points), [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] (14) and [autotag]Carlos Stewart[/autotag] (12) were among those players.

It was also an impressive game on the defensive end for the Tigers, which allowed the Wildcats to shoot just 24.2% from the field while forcing 21 turnovers (resulting in 39 points the other way) and outrebounding Louisiana Christian 49-23.

It wasn’t a Division I opponent, but it’s certainly a positive sign for the Tigers as they look to return to contending for the NCAA Tournament. LSU will begin its regular season on Nov. 6 against Mississippi Valley State.

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How to watch LSU men’s basketball’s “Boo Up” exhibition game vs. Louisiana Christian on Monday night

The Tigers begin Year 2 under Matt McMahon with a scrimmage against NAIA Louisiana Christian on Monday night.

The 2023-24 LSU men’s basketball team will take the court for the first time on Monday night as the Tigers host NAIA Louisiana Christian in an exhibition at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. CT and will be the first time LSU has hosted a preseason exhibition at the PMAC since 2016.

It will be our first glance at a new-look LSU team after a disappointing 14-19 first season under [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] that featured a 14-game losing streak and saw the team finish just 2-16 in SEC play.

McMahon hit the portal hard once again this offseason, bringing in one of the nation’s top hauls, headlined by players like [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag], [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag], [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlos Stewart[/autotag].

Louisiana Christian is coming off a 13-17 finish last season and will play back-to-back nights in Baton Rouge as it will scrimmage Southern on Tuesday night.

Admission to the scrimmage will be free to fans, and it has a Halloween “Boo Up” theme, featuring candy for kids, a costume contest and a postgame autograph session with the players.

This will be the final tuneup before LSU begins the 2023-24 season against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 6. Here’s everything you need to know to follow this one.

LSU men’s basketball ends Bahamas tour with win over Argentina’s Obras Sanitarias

The Tigers went 3-0 during their exhibition tour in the Bahamas this week.

LSU’s exhibition tour in Paradise Island, Bahamas, came to an end on Thursday with a 118-79 win over Obras Sanitarias, an Argentinian club team. The Tigers previously beat club teams from Puerto Rico and the Bahamas on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

The Tigers controlled the final game from the tip, jumping out to a 14-2 lead and taking a 62-39 advantage into the second half.

“I loved our start today in the first quarter; I thought everyone came out with great energy,” coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] said in a release. “We were able to create some turnovers on the defensive end of the floor that got us out in transition, and I thought everyone played with great unselfishness and got a lot of good looks. We didn’t shoot the ball exceptionally well from three but really did a good job attacking the rim and getting some good baskets. I thought Jordan Wright in the first half was just terrific on the offensive end of the floor, enabling us to build a big lead.

“As for the trip, this has been just terrific for our team. The time we’ve gotten to spend together, the ten practices before we left, the time outside of basketball this week in the Bahamas has been really good. As we try to take these six returning players and nine newcomers and start to build the chemistry of our team, the commitment to winning, and the understanding of what each player is about. I think it’s so important that you have trust in the locker room and you usually see that carry over to the court. This has been really beneficial for us.”

Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] led the way with a huge game offensively, scoring 27 points. Nevada center transfer [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] scored 19 points, while [autotag]Mwani Wilkinson[/autotag], [autotag]Corey Chest[/autotag] and [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag] all had 12.

“Well, I think the guys play the right way on the offensive end of the floor,” McMahon said. “We weren’t running a lot of plays, we were just trying to play out of concepts and be very unselfish. Guys stepped up and knocked down not only the threes Jordan (Wright) made, but the post-up opportunities for Will Baker, and you saw his efficiency in there. I thought Corey Chest gave us great energy, chasing rebounds, and finishing plays around the basket. Everyone we played was able to contribute, not just today but throughout the trip. It’s been a really good learning experience for us.”

Tyrell Ward also capped off his third-straight double-figure scoring game with 11 points.

Coming off a disappointing first season in Baton Rouge, McMahon has a largely new group of players for Year 2. He’ll hope the opportunity to get some early game action with this team will ultimately pay dividends.

“Yeah, really excited about our team, love our group,” he said. “Obviously, we need to get healthy. We had four guys who were unable to play on the trip and look forward to getting them back when we start the Fall semester of classes. I love the talent and athleticism. We have great character in our locker room and those things give you a foundation to build a team that can win. Can’t wait to get back to Baton Rouge and get started this Fall.”

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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.

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LSU basketball comes back to beat Puerto Rico in Bahamas exhibition

The Tigers squandered a big halftime lead, but they battled back to win the exhibition game.

The LSU Tigers had to overcome a seven point deficit at the end of the third quarter, but coach Matt McMahon’s team battled back to beat Puerto Rico 86-82 at the Imperial Ballroom in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

“I was thrilled to see some of the leadership and the response from some of our older guys there in the fourth quarter,” McMahon said in a release. “The third quarter was arguably the worst quarter in the history of Bahamas basketball. Finding a way to respond to that, I thought Mwani Wilkinson hit two huge threes for us, [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag] hit a huge three. I loved our unselfishness on the offensive end of the floor. 20 assists on 29 baskets, we moved and shared the ball. The problem is the turnovers and illegal screens cost us a lot of possessions. Overall, it was a great experience for our guys to learn from: the positive response in the fourth quarter, the energy and effort in the first half and to learn from the tragedy of the third quarter.”

LSU led 50-30 at halftime in the game, which wasn’t broadcast. But some sloppy play — namely a concerning 29 turnovers — allowed Puerto Rico to get back in the game.

Still, some timely offense allowed LSU to erase a late deficit and take the win. [autotag]Tyrell Ward[/autotag] led the team with 19 points on 6 of 9 shooting, including a 3 of 6 performance behind the arc.

Transfers [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] and Collins each scored 13 points, while transfer big man [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] had 11, as did [autotag]Mwani Wilkinson[/autotag]. As a team, LSU shot 57% from the field in a solid offensive performance.

“I thought Tyrell (Ward) has had a great offseason,” McMahon said. “We all know he is wired to score, and I thought he shot the ball well. He was able to get out in transition and get some baskets for us, he hit two clutch free throws late in the game. I thought Daimion (Collins) really responded well in the fourth quarter and made big plays for us. He ran the floor, had a couple of putback and got a rim runner for a dunk to put us up one and of course, the big three he hit. I thought you saw Will (Baker), not only his ability to score in the post but also his passing. For us right now, with so many guys out, having another guy like Will who can facilitate is important.”

The one negative for the Tigers came in the game’s opening seconds, when true freshman Mike Williams suffered an injury while hyperextending his knee on a breakaway layup. After the game, McMahon didn’t have an update on his condition.

LSU will be back in action on Tuesday when it takes on the Bahamas.

“Excited to get to play again tomorrow,” McMahon said. “Jalen Reed will work out in the morning and we think he will be able to play some tomorrow which will be good for us. Just another opportunity to get better. The reality is we have eight newcomers and combining them with our five returners so the opportunities are priceless to work together and get into some game situations and play different combinations of people together and start to establish the chemistry of the team.”

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LSU misses on sweepstakes for big-time transfer Zyon Pullin

Pullin committed to Florida after a visit to Gainesville over the weekend.

LSU was in the mix for one of the best available transfer portal players in the country, former UC Riverside guard [autotag]Zyon Pullin[/autotag]. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported Tuesday that Pullin was down to two schools: LSU and Florida.

Ultimately, the Gators won out. Pullin opted to head to Gainesville, informing Borzello of his commitment.

It’s not exactly a surprise. Florida had Pullin on campus for an official visit this weekend. It seems LSU will not get the 6-foot-4 fifth-year player on campus.

A three-year starter at UC Riverside, Pullin earned first-team All-Big West honors in 2022-23 while averaging 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

LSU still has a very solid transfer class, headlined by Tulane guard Jalen Cook — who returns after beginning his career with the Tigers — as well as Santa Clara guard [autotag]Carlos Stewart[/autotag], Nevada center [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag], Vanderbilt forward [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] and former Kentucky forward and five-star recruit [autotag]Daimion Collins[/autotag].

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LSU transfer center Will Baker officially withdraws from NBA draft

Baker was testing the draft waters, but he will indeed join coach Matt McMahon in Baton Rouge.

LSU coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] went to work this offseason after a disappointing first campaign with the Tigers, landing a top transfer portal class once again.

There was some uncertainty, however, about whether one of the top additions would make it to Baton Rouge. Nevada center transfer [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag] was testing the 2023 NBA draft waters this offseason, but he ultimately opted to withdraw and will officially be a Tiger this fall, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.

Baker is a native of Austin, Texas, who originally signed with the Texas Longhorns out of high school. After one season in which he played in 23 games but saw minimal action, he transferred to Nevada.

Baker had to sit out his first year with the Wolf Pack but started 59 of 63 games over the last two seasons. In 2022-22, he averaged 13.6 points per game and shot 56% from the field en route to All-Mountain West Third Team honors.

The 7-footer also averaged 5.2 rebounds. Baker will join LSU with one remaining season of eligibility as a redshirt senior.

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LSU basketball tabbed a winner in transfer portal

Matt McMahon did some good work in the transfer portal this offseason.

LSU got active in the transfer portal yet again this year.

[autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag], who’s entering the second year of his rebuild, didn’t really have a choice. LSU lost a lot itself, and the Tigers need to add more talent as McMahon looks to mold the team in his image.

On3 named LSU a winner of the transfer period. The Tigers added [autotag]Jalen Cook[/autotag], [autotag]Will Baker[/autotag], [autotag]Carlos Stewart[/autotag], [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] and [autotag]Hunter Dean[/autotag].

Four of those five averaged double-digit scoring at their previous stop last season. Dean, the lone player below that mark, still averaged 8.7 points and 6.1 rebounds.

LSU’s getting much-needed production across the board.

On3 mentions that much of McMahon’s new talent is native to Louisiana. That could help LSU establish an identity within the state.

The most intriguing player in this class is the point guard, Cook.

The guard began his career at LSU under [autotag]Will Wade[/autotag] before flourishing at Tulane last year, where he averaged 19.9 points and 4.9 assists.

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