Just like that, it’s over.
On Wednesday night, No. 15 seed LSU was eliminated from the SEC Tournament by No. 10 seed Mississippi State, 91-62. With its loss came the end of any NCAA Tournament chances.
After an 11-2 start, the Tigers ended the year with a 14-18 record, wrapping up conference play with a 3-19 record and finishing dead last in the SEC with a six-game losing streak.
LSU will miss the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year under head coach Matt McMahon this March. It feels like a time when questions about the head coach’s job security would regularly be asked, but not this season in Baton Rouge.
The Tigers will likely roll with McMahon in year four of the rebuild, opting to invest more NIL money into the program, according to On3.
So what does the program’s future look like with McMahon firmly in the driver’s seat for year four?
Juniors Jalen Reed, Tyrell Ward and Noah Boyde haven’t seen much of the floor this season, with Reed sidelined with a torn ACL he suffered against Florida State and Ward stepping away from the team prior to the season.
Mike Williams is the team’s only sophomore and returned to the rotation as the season drew on.
However, it was the freshmen that Tiger fans should be excited about.
Robert Miller, Vyctorius Miller, Corey Chest and Curtis Givens contributed to McMahon’s rotation. Their emergence will give LSU the pieces it needs to replenish after it loses four (potentially five) seniors.
Of the five seniors, Jordan Sears, Dji Bailey, Derek Fountain and Trace Young said their goodbyes on senior day against Texas A&M. The fifth, Cam Carter could return to the Bayou with a fifth year of eligibility.
Carter, the Kansas State transfer, has made an instant impact in his first year in purple and gold. He has led LSU in scoring this year with 16.5 points per game on 42.8% shooting this season. Retaining their leading scorer will be a key domino that the Tigers hope will fall their way.
LSU has also had three incoming recruits sign letters of intent: Mazi Mosley, Jalen Reece and Matt Gihool. All three are within the top 90 national recruits, 12 at their position and the top 16 at their position.
Mosley and Reece are both four-star guards looking to fill the hole left by Sears, who averaged 12 points per game on 37.6% shooting as the Tigers’ starting point guard.
Mosley’s size makes him a pretty intriguing prospect. He’s raw, only making 28% of his threes this past season, but with the proper development, he could become a dangerous playmaker.
Reece is smaller but more defined in terms of his size. He shoots a good 3-ball at 34% and hits 70% from the free-throw line. Reece also proved himself as a capable playmaker, averaging 4.4 assists with only 2.1 turnovers per game.
However, Gihool has the potential to make the most significant impact.
Standing at 6-foot-10, 205 pounds, Gihool can make waves inside for LSU. His height will make him the second-tallest on the team, and he only turns 19 this year.
Gihool shot 58% from the field this past season while shooting 31% on his 3-pointers with less than two attempts per game. His signing could start fixing the Tigers’ frequent woes down low that plagued them this season.
However, until next fall, it will be up to McMahon and his staff to recruit the best men’s basketball roster that LSU can put together.
