This past college basketball season involved a lot of focus around the SEC and in the end it was well-deserved. It’s not just that Florida cut down the nets as champions or that Auburn joined them in the Final Four: 14 programs in the conference were in the NCAA Tournament. It’s been a sensational rise for many of the teams in the SEC, and in fact 15 of the 16 programs have been in either or both of the last two NCAA Tournaments.
LSU is the lone exception and it’s a tough situation for the Tigers right now. Will Wade was a sensational force in Baton Rouge, taking the program to three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, but his own recruiting issues led to his eventual dismissal in 2022. The program turned to Matt McMahon to clean up Wade’s mess but it’s hard not to wallow, especially after what Wade built quickly at McNeese State before landing NC State’s job a few months ago.
McMahon is by no means a bad coach. He’s the guy who found undiscovered and unheralded Ja Morant during his 7-year stretch as Murray State’s head coach. McMahon really showed during that time with the Racers that he can build a program, but it’s just been an uphill climb with the Tigers. LSU faced several restrictions and other punishments from Wade’s tenure which have limited McMahon’s ability to field a winner.
His Tigers finished dead last in the SEC in his first season and nearly repeated the feat this year, clinging to 15th place in the league. Overall, he’s won just 45 games in his three seasons and certainly is leagues behind powerful conference rivals like Auburn, Kentucky, and the others previously mentioned. Does LSU have a possible turnaround in front of them?
The Tigers add a trio of 4-star prospects alongside a transfer class that’ll rank in many Top 25 lists from this offseason. Former UNLV point guard Dedan Thomas might be the best of the bunch though the Tigers are hoping for great contributions out of former Mississippi State center Michael Nwoko. Marquel Sutton played a big role in Omaha’s rise last season while shooting guard Rashad King is a high-profile scorer from Northeastern.
The new talent looks great but McMahon and his staff continues fighting a battle that everyone deals with in retention. Alongside big production from seniors last year, LSU got great minutes from four freshmen, though three of them transferred in the offseason, with just 6-10 forward Robert Miller back as a sophomore.
When McMahon took this job in 2022, it was understood that some patience would be needed with the program reeling from those punishments. LSU didn’t fully know the situation when he was hired and it’s hard to complain too much about the subsequent struggles. However, McMahon’s staff’s hands aren’t tied any longer and it’s hard to justify these rough seasons when the rest of the conference has been in the Big Dance during his tenure. It’s time for the Tigers to show something.