LSU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt McMahon, entering his 25th year of coaching collegiate basketball, addressed the media following an impressive, dominant season-opener victory against UL Monroe by a final score of 95-60.
Entering this matchup with a nearly completely different starting lineup than what took the court last season (excluding forward Jalen Reed), McMahon credits the early cohesiveness of this roster to its ability to be disruptive and the level of intensity on both sides of the ball.
“We feel like we have multiple weapons at every position,” Head Coach Matt McMahon said. “I thought you saw tonight J Reed’s (Jalen Reed) effectiveness around the basket, his ability to finish plays… I think the goal is to have balance… but right now, I like the way the ball is moving.”
Finishing with a career-high 24 points, junior forward Jalen Reed seems to be embracing his new, more involved role on the offensive side of the ball.
Shooting nearly perfect from the field (8/9 FG) and lights-out from the free-throw line (8/8 FT), Reed found himself facilitating most of the offensive possessions for the purple and gold.
With six minutes remaining in the first quarter, Reed caught his defender jumping on a perfectly executed pump fake just beyond the three-point line. In response, Reed drove toward the basket and baptized a helpless ULM defender underneath the rim.
The fans inside the PMAC erupted, as the Warhawks called a timeout in an attempt to regroup.
From a defensive perspective, McMahon credits the team’s attention to detail to their success in containing their opponent’s offense.
“I think it’s got to be the foundation of what we’re trying to do,” McMahon said. “I thought our guys executed well on the defensive side.”
After two quick three-pointers by ULM with 16 minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Tigers’ defense shifted its focus on limiting these scoring opportunities.
The Warhawks would shoot 1/12 from three for the remainder of the game.
Additionally, the Tigers’ ferocious defensive scheme would result in 14 turnovers and seven blocked shots. Managing to outrebound ULM (45 to 30 rebound disparity), many second-chance opportunities led to more chances to score on the offensive side of the court.
Moving forward, in other news, Coach McMahon addressed the developing story revolving around LSU guard Tyrell Ward.
Earlier today, it was announced that Ward would be stepping away from the basketball program to focus on his mental health and is not expected to return to competition this season.
In response to this announcement, McMahon said,” I love Tyrell. [The team] love[s] Tyrell. We’ll be here to support him every step of the way.”
Last season, Ward averaged 9.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and a 43.8 FG%
LSU Men’s Basketball faces off against Alabama State in their next matchup on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. CST at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
