LSU Men’s Basketball Regular Season Ends Today! Alleluia!

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

One of the worst regular seasons in LSU basketball history comes to a close Saturday afternoon at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The Tigers (14-16, 3-14 Southeastern Conference) host No. 22 Texas A&M (21-9, 10-7 SEC) at 3 p.m. on the SEC Network. The SEC Tournament follows on Wednesday in Nashville.

LSU, which is in 15th place in the league out of 16 teams, has lost four straight, including one its worst games of the season – a 95-64 loss at No. 19 Kentucky on Tuesday.

The Aggies had lost four in a row as well, but they bounced back in historic fashion on Tuesday with an 83-72 win over No. 1 and SEC regular season champion Auburn in College Station, Texas. It was the Aggies’ first win over a No. 1 team in men’s basketball history after nine straight losses to the top team.

LSU last won a game on Feb. 18, beating last place South Carolina, 81-67, in the Assembly Center. The Tigers can finish in a tie for last in the SEC this season with the Gamecocks (12-18, 2-15) if South Carolina wins today and LSU loses. But the Gamecocks play at No. 4 Tennessee (24-6, 11-6 SEC) at 1 p.m. on the SEC Network.

Coach Matt McMahon’s first LSU team in 2022-23 finished last in the SEC at 14-19 and 2-16. The Tigers previously had a last place finish in the 2016-17 SEC season, finishing 10-21 and 2-16 and tied for the cellar with Missouri (8-24, 2-16). LSU coach Johnny Jones was fired after that season, which was his fifth season.

LSU TO RETAIN MATT MCMAHON DESPITE LOST SEASON

LSU athletic director Scott Woodward will be keeping McMahon, largely because he is on a seven-year contract, he hired him, and LSU’s Name, Image & Likeness budget for men’s basketball is among the worst in the SEC. LSU has promised to push more NIL money immediately toward men’s basketball.

LSU’s supposed newfound NIL strategies for men’s basketball need to first make sure they keep what McMahon already has on the floor and incoming so there is not a mass exodus after this horrific season. McMahon badly needs to keep his current freshmen class of guards Vyctorius Miller and Curtis Givens III and forward Robert Miller III along with redshirt freshman forward Corey Chest, sophomore Mike Williams II and redshirt junior forward Daimion Collins.

All six have had their promising moments this season.

LSU also needs to make sure junior forward Jalen Reed – the Tigers’ best player heading into the 2024-25 season – returns after missing most of the season with an injury.

Five LSU seniors will play their last home game today – Cam Carter, Jordan Sears, Dji Bailey, Derek Fountain and Trace Young.

McMahon’s incoming freshmen class is ranked No. 19 by 247sports.com with No. 11 point guard Jalen Reece (6-foot-1) of Oak Ridge High in Orlando, No. 12 shooting guard Mazi Mosley (6-5) of Prolific Prep in Napa, California, and No. 12 center Matt Gilhool (6-10) of William Penn High in Philadelphia.