Mike Nwoko led LSU men’s basketball to a fourth straight win after an electric game vs. Alcorn State University.
Nwoko has excelled so far in the young 2025-26 season, but especially on Tuesday night, acting as the glue to help LSU take down the Braves 107-81. He was a leader on both sides of the ball and demonstrated strong communication skills to help clean up some of the mental errors the Tigers made in the previous games.
“Mike’s been fantastic on the offensive end,” head coach Matt McMahon said post-game. “Six offensive rebounds tonight really stood out, as we’ve talked in here in the last couple of months, been really pleased with his skill level, more skill down in the post than we had anticipated coming in.”
The Tigers acted with little energy throughout the beginning of the game, despite high-energy moments from Nwoko. He did all of the little things right, including hyping up the fans in the PMAC when he got the ball.
In the first minute alone, he secured two dunks, and he came up with two more throughout the game. In the preseason press conference, McMahon said Nwoko was one of the better players he’s coached and has all the tools to make him outstanding.
“He’s more skilled than I expected, quite frankly,” McMahon said. “He finishes well around the basket, finishes with either hand. He’s been a great rim threat as a ball screen and roll player … He really can be as good as he wants to be because of his physical tools.”
McMahon said Nwoko plays aggressively and uses his size to his advantage, and that was more than true in Tuesday night’s battle versus the Braves. He appeared at the free throw line six times, and he sank his shots there too, going 5-for-6 on the line.
After the game against FIU, McMahon commented on Nwoko’s aggressive play, and he is expected to learn to manage that for the betterment of the team. He has to learn how to navigate foul trouble if he wants to excel in that facet of the game.
“Mike Nwoko gets his fourth foul, and I was going to let him learn on the fly,” McMahon said after playing FIU. “If he fouled out with 11 minutes [left], he was going to foul out, so we left him out there to see how he would handle it, and I thought he dominated that four and a half minute stretch.”
Nwoko did all of this in only 20 minutes versus Alcorn.
He served as a leader throughout the game, leading by example on both sides of the ball. He showed his communication skills, which the Tigers have been lacking this season.
The players passed the ball significantly better, and part of that came from Nwoko’s ability to get in the mix and take a few hits to get the ball back for the Tigers.
Nwoko let his leadership qualities shine on the court. In his 20 minutes of playing time, he scored 29 points.
He has become a reliable player for LSU this season so far, and he will be tested again as the team takes on Omaha Friday, Nov. 21, in the PMAC.
