New LSU basketball coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] is still searching for his first commitment in the 2023 class, but the Tigers are in the mix for a number of top prospects.
One of those players, four-star Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) shooting guard Wesley Yates, cut his list of teams down to nine, and LSU made the cut. The Tigers are joined by Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, Stanford, Texas and Washington.
Yates is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound player who ranks as the No. 31 overall recruit in the 2023 class. He’s considering a number of schools in his home state of Texas, but he’s also considering a few SEC programs.
“It’s close to home, and I got a real good relationship with the coaches,” Yates said of LSU, according to On3. “Coach (Casey) Long is my guy, and you got Coach (Matt) McMahon, the head coach, who developed Ja Morant. It’s just crazy to know he did that at Murray State, and he still talks to Ja today. They have shown me how I can develop my game and how they can develop me into a pro. They play in the SEC, which is a big stage. I got a visit set with them on September 10; it’s the week LSU plays Southern in football, so it’ll be fun.”
9 this for you ❤️👁 #FI9HT #Forever9 #TGBTG pic.twitter.com/AUjHu35nqI
— Wesley Yates lll (@thewesleyyates_) August 13, 2022
On3 lists LSU as a slim favorite for Yates, giving them a 27.7% chance of landing him, ahead of the Longhorns, Auburn and the Cardinal.
McMahon did an impressive job this offseason replacing a roster that had largely dissipated following the season. He landed the No. 15 class in 2022, and though he’s still waiting for his first pledge in the bump class, landing a player like Yates would quickly ease any concerns.
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