GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU basketball coach Matt McMahon’s latest addition from the NCAA Transfer Portal was not ranked coming out of high school in Australia and is not currently ranked coming from the University of Portland in the West Coast Conference.
But the WCC is an impressive conference with NCAA Tournament entries St. Mary’s and Gonzaga this season, and new Tiger Max Mackinnon put up some eye-catching numbers last season. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged a team-high 14.5 points with 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists for Portland, which finished 12-20 overall and 7-11 in the 12-team WCC for eighth place.
NEWS: Portland transfer Max Mackinnon has committed to LSU, his agent Daniel Moldovan told ESPN. The 6'6 Australian wing averaged 14.5 PPG this season, shooting 41% for 3. LSU Associate Head Coach David Patrick going back to his roots. pic.twitter.com/YqO4oR0Z1X
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 4, 2025
Mackinnon shot 40.7 percent from 3-point range (37 of 91) and 88.7 percent from the free throw line. He is McMahon’s fourth portal addition all this week and third guard, joining 6-1 UNLV point guard transfer Dedan Thomas Jr. and 6-6 shooting guard Rashad King of Northeastern. LSU’s first portal signee of this window was 6-10 starting center Michael Nwoko of Mississippi State.
In a 92-82 win over San Diego last Jan. 23, Mackinnon scored 43 points with 7-of-9 shooting from 3-point range.
A native of Brisbane, Australia, Mackinnon played the first two years of his college career at Elon University in North Carolina in the Coastal Athletic Association. He averaged 11.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 2022-23 as a freshman and 12.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the 2023-24 season.
MacKinnon is joining a team that finished 14-18 (3-15, Southeastern Conference) last season after playing on three losing teams in college – 8-24 and 6-12 and 13-19 and 6-12 in his first two seasons at Elon and 12-20 and 7-11 last season at Portland.
Thomas, one of the top point guards in the portal, and Nwoko, a starter in the SEC, were impressive additions. King and Mackinnon, on paper and considering the schools they are coming from, however, not so much.
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