Matt McMahon knew the LSU job would be a challenge and take patience, but his first three years with the Tigers have still been a struggle. This is the only SEC program that hasn’t been in the NCAA Tournament since McMahon took the job in 2022. LSU actually made the NIT in his second season but fell to a 14-18 mark with a 15th place league finish last season with a clear step backwards.
The unfortunate news doesn’t stop there for the Tigers, who shed an enormous amount of talent to graduation and the portal. Losing Cam Carter and Jordan Sears because of eligibility was expected, but seeing Curtis Givens and Vyctorius Miller both walk away after being Top 75 recruits last season is quite disappointing. LSU does return Robert Miller and Jalen Reed to anchor the frontcourt but clearly reinforcements were needed.
Those additions come in many forms, as the Tigers welcome three 4-star freshmen as well as a bunch of new transfers. Michael Nwoko is a former Mississippi State center while Marquel Sutton was part of last year’s breakthrough team at Omaha. We saw solid numbers from Rashad King at Northeastern last season while Memphis’s PJ Carter also boosts the backcourt. There is one transfer who does clearly stand up alone in this new lineup.
A lot will be on the shoulders of 6-1 point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. as a new leader for the Tigers. The Las Vegas native spent his first two seasons right in his hometown, playing MWC ball at UNLV. The MWC Rookie of the Year as a freshman, he’s coming off an impressive sophomore year where he averaged 15.6 points and 4.7 assists for the Runnin’ Rebels while notching All-MWC honors for a second straight campaign.
There’s an unquestionable jump in talent from the MWC to the SEC, but Thomas was one of the best guards in the portal for several reasons. He has excellent court vision and athleticism and can really run an offense, while not being someone who rushes up shots. Thomas did brilliant work heading UNLV and now gets a chance to show he belongs on a more national stage.
It’s easy to look at the point guard when you have a bunch of new talent, but Thomas really is the best new athlete in town for the Tigers. Whether or not he’s the top scorer, he’ll contribute significant offense both in his shotmaking and ability to see the floor and make others more productive. LSU needs this kind of player to really standout if they’re going to make any noise in an SEC that seems to get stronger with every passing moment.