LSU Basketball: Tigers one of the early winners of the transfer portal

The first year of the Matt McMahon era at LSU Basketball was a struggle, to the surprise of very few. Virtually the entire roster left when Will Wade was axed, forcing McMahon to build the Tigers from scratch.

As the transfer portal taketh away, however, it can also giveth. That’s what McMahon and the Tigers are doing this offseason, making them one of the early winners of the transfer portal period.

Matt McMahon’s LSU Tigers is an early winner of the transfer period, securing two major players while losing little.

LSU scored one of the biggest transfers available this offseason when they reeled in guard Jalen Cook from Tulane. The name is familiar to Tigers fans, and not just because he played at another prominent school in the state – he started his collegiate career at LSU and this is his full circle moment.

While Cook bloomed with the Green Wave, he became one of the most dynamic players in the game, one that nearly led his school to the NCAA Tournament. This past season, he averaged 19.9 points and 4.9 assists per game.

Cook will be a steadying force in the backcourt, overriding the loss of Adam Miller to the transfer portal. He will also be the best player LSU has had in the last two seasons.

Jordan Wright was another critical transfer score for McMahon. The Vanderbilt wing is transferring within the SEC, returning to his home state of Louisiana to try and push the Tigers’ basketball program back into relevance.

Wright started roughly half the games he played in last year for Jerry Stackhouse’s team, which made a late push towards the NCAA Tournament bubble. He averaged 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last year and should pencil in as a regular starter for LSU.

McMahon did lose several players in the transfer portal, including some that will be felt in a significant way.

Justice Hill, who came with McMahon from Murray State, led the team in assists last season, though he largely didn’t pan out. Miller averaged 11.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game after missing a whole year with a torn ACL. Shawn Phillips was primed for a bigger role as a true sophomore.

LSU was also a finalist for Florida International transfer Denver Jones, who would’ve been a significant backcourt add. Unfortunately for the Tigers, he decided to play for another group of Tigers in the SEC, the Auburn Tigers.

The Tigers may not be done yet, either. They are considered one of the favorites to land former Nevada and Texas big man Will Baker, who averaged 13.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last year. The All-Mountain West Third Team center is visiting Baton Rouge, according to LSU Wire.

The volume of outflow is much greater than the volume of inflow at LSU so far. But the quality of players transferring in easily exceeds the impact of those leaving via the portal from the previous campaign.

LSU is going to be better next season (granted, it would be hard to be worse). Depending on what else it can do in the transfer portal will determine what the Tigers’ ceiling will be in 2023-24.