GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The phone could ring at any moment with LSU basketball coach Matt McMahon’s next NCAA Transfer Portal addition and potentially move his No. 4-ranked class higher.
That could come from Kansas State shooting guard Brendan Hausen (6-foot-4, 205), who led the Wildcats in 3-point shooting last season at 38 percent (90 of 232). He averaged 10.9 points a game in 33 starts as a junior and is the No. 25 shooting guard in the portal, according to 247Sports.com, which has LSU’s five-man transfer class ranked No. 4 at the moment.
Hausen could pair well with Dedan Thomas Jr., the No. 4 point guard in the portal and jewel of McMahon’s transfer class. Thomas (6-1, 170) is the No. 10-ranked player in the portal overall after averaging 15.6 points and 4.6 assists a game at UNLV last season. He chose LSU over Florida, which just won the national championship, and Kentucky.
“I’m really, really thrilled with the progress that been made here in the last two weeks for sure,” McMahon said on Tiger Rag Radio Tuesday night. “There’s certainly more work to be done. We still need another perimeter player that can really shoot it.”
McMahon was likely referencing Hausen there or another potential addition like him.
Coming off his second losing season in three years as LSU’s coach, LSU’s Name, Image & Likeness strategies have dedicated approximately $8 million to McMahon’s roster for a critical 2025-26 season, as opposed to a $2 million budget last season. Thomas will be receiving approximately $2 million himself, according to Tiger Rag sources.
“Well, I love them all,” McMahon said of the five portal additions so far. “But I’ve always been such a believer in the point guard position and the importance that he carries in the program as the quarterback of your team. And Dedan is a guy that I loved out of high school. He’s a guy that’s just so crafty and creative off the dribble – an electric point guard. So, we were thrilled to be able to beat out a lot of really good programs to bring him into the fold.”
Thomas visited LSU shortly after the portal window opened on March 24.
“He saw the vision and the opportunity to come here and be the quarterback,” McMahon said. “And he liked the returning pieces and what we can build around him. He was such a critical piece to what we’re building here.”
LSU’s other portal signees were No. 9 center Michael Nwoko (6-10, 245), who will be a junior after starting last season at Mississippi State, No. 10 power forward Marquel Sutton (6-9, 225) of Omaha who will be a senior, No. 23 shooting guard Rashad King (6-6, 204) of Northeastern who will be a senior, and unranked shooting guard Max Mackinnon (6-6, 200) of Portland who will be a senior.
McMahon was going for height.
“We wanted to address the physicality and toughness that this league requires in the front court,” he said. “Obviously, the rebounding issues that we suffered from. Nwoko was one of the top rebounders and shot blockers per minute last season. And then to get Sutton this week was critical for us. High motor, high energy, great length and is proven. Obviously, he’s got to make the jump, moving up in level.”
McMahon must also make a significant jump after a 14-18 season in 2024-25 and 15th place finish in the SEC at 3-15.
“We’ll sleep some time this summer, I hope,” he said.
McMahon’s roster stands at 11 now with a maximum of 15 players who can be on scholarship. He returns starting power forward Jalen Reed (6-10, 240), who will be a junior next season after missing most of last season with a knee injury, and point guard Curtis Givens III (6-3, 185), who will be a sophomore, and forward Robert Miller III (6-10, 220), who will be a sophomore.
His high school class of 2025 that is ranked No. 18 by 247sports.com features No. 10 point guard Jalen Reece (6-0, 175) of Oak Ridge High in Orlando, Florida, No. 12 shooting guard Mazi Mosley (6-5, 165) of Prolific Prep in Napa, California, and No. 12 center Matt Gilhool (6-10, 205) of William Penn High in Philadelphia.
Reece may be a younger version of McMahon’s new point guard – Dedan Thomas Jr.
“The more the merrier,” McMahon said.
McMahon does not foresee signing more than one more player from the portal, possibly two. If he reaches 15 players on the roster, it will include walk-ons.
“In the new age of salary cap, I don’t think it’s realistic to space all the dollars out among 15 players,” he said. “I don’t think that’s the right formula.”
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