LSU Basketball: Why Cam Carter is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

It’s going to be really interesting to see how LSU keeps piecing things together. Matt McMahon is coming off his second season in Baton Rouge, fresh off 17 wins and a 7th place finish in the SEC race. He inherited a challenge, taking over a program somewhat gutted in the wake of Will Wade’s recruiting violations. This past season was a definite step forward, though the Tigers still aren’t exactly at that same competitive level as many of their league rivals. Can that change this season?

The good news in Baton Rouge is that LSU wasn’t quite as devastated by the Transfer Portal as many other power conference programs were this offseason. They do lose a significant amount of senior talent, including leading scorers Jordan Wright and Will Baker, while also shedding Jalen Cook and all of his potential. A few underclassmen from last season will be expected to take even bigger steps forwards, with LSU notably returning forwards Jalen Reed and Tyrell Ward alongside freshman guard Mike Williams.

With those departures come a few freshmen additions, though today’s concerns fall with LSU’s work with the Transfer Portal. The Tigers lost a couple of minor players from last season but definitely got three very prominent athletes in return. Former UT Martin guard Jordan Sears should assume major minutes at the point while Richmond shooting guard Dji Bailey gets his shot in the SEC in his final collegiate campaign.

The key addition in the offseason is actually an SEC return, as Cam Carter arrives in Baton Rouge for his senior season. He saw minor play as a freshman at Mississippi State but transferred after Ben Howland was fired back in 2022. Carter spent the last two seasons with the new staff at Kansas State, playing in the Elite Eight as a sophomore before averaging 14.6 points and 5.0 rebounds after a major step forward as a junior. He’s been a full-time starter for the Wildcats and should assume a major role with the Tigers as well.

A native of Louisiana, Carter is back in his home state and should be the most productive of those three new additions. The overall shooting stats don’t jump off the page, but Carter can knock down outside shots and can create offense all over the court. He’s coming off career-bests in scoring, assists, and steals and has become more of a total package as a wing.

His work at Kansas State was solid, and LSU certainly could use more solid guards like Carter in the equation. We highlighted the returning faces in the frontcourt, highlighting the importance of Carter and the other transfers in the backcourt. Not only is he talented and athletic, Carter also brings experience that LSU just can’t get in young or recent players, especially from that postseason success in his sophomore season.

Carter can go out and score 20 points, but LSU can be successful even when he’s not the top option for this squad. There isn’t exactly the same level of elite young talent for the Tigers, so it’ll be interesting to see how these older transfers meld together with the younger pieces already in place. Has McMahon and his staff done enough to seriously push the needle in a menacing SEC race? Is another change of scenery conducive to Carter putting together a strong senior season?