SEC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2024-25 season
By Justin Wiles
14. LSU Tigers
It’s undeniable that the Tigers have improved under Matt McMahon. Year one was a complete rebuild after Will Wade’s tenure. Last season LSU exceeded all expectations finishing 7th in the SEC with a 9-9 record.
Not a ton of production returns this season for the Tigers, the team's top two scorers from last year ran out of eligibility. Tyrell Ward (9.2 ppg) and Mike Williams (7.2 ppg) return for LSU providing the offense with some stability. To add some offensive firepower McMahon signed three solid scorers from the transfer portal. Jordan Sears (21.6 ppg) from UT-Martin, Cam Carter (14.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg), from Kansas State, and Dji Bailey (10.2 ppg) from Richmond will all play huge roles for LSU’s offense. Sears made more than 43 percent of his threes from last season on over five attempts per game. If this translates to the SEC then the Tigers offense should be in a good position.
LSU is one of the bigger teams in the conference. The Tigers return Jalen Reed and Derek Fountain, who are both close to 7 feet tall, and McMahon added a couple of bigs out of the transfer portal to add some depth. Reed and Fountain are efficient scorers when they get the ball, but didn’t put up huge offensive numbers last season. One would think that another year in the system should help improve their offensive numbers, but a guard-heavy roster will most likely force their scoring roles to secondary options.
It’s hard to imagine this year's team making as large of a leap forward as last year. The revamped backcourt filled with transfers will have a huge impact on the direction of this team, but there are still concerns on the defensive end of the court. Last season the Tigers gave up 75 points per game, and other than Carter, the transfer additions don’t make the defense much better. While the Tigers have plenty of height, they don’t impact the game a ton on the defensive end of the court. Last season LSU had at least four players 6’9 or taller and the team only averaged 35.7 rebounds and 3.8 blocks.
If the defense can take a step forward then LSU should have a good season, but the lack of high-end talent might hold the Tigers back this year and ultimately cost the team a NCAA Tournament appearance.