LSU men’s basketball declines 2025 NIT invitation

By Ethan Stenger, Sports Editor

March 16, 2025

LSU men’s basketball 5th-year senior guard Trace Young (14) stands during a timeout during LSU’s 66-52 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

LSU men’s basketball will decline its 2025 NIT invitation, according to LouisianaSports.net.

A Tigers spokesperson cites the team’s injuries as the reason for the team’s decline.

The SEC receives two automatic NIT bids annually, awarded to the top two teams who failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. LSU, like South Carolina, opted to decline the invitation this March.

The Tigers finished their season with a 91-62 loss to Mississippi State in Wednesday’s opening round of the SEC Tournament.

LSU will finish the season 14-18 overall, 3-15 in conference play and second to last in the SEC.

Tigers head coach Matt McMahon will return to the Bayou for year four with LSU.

About the Contributor

Ethan Stenger, Sports Editor

Why did you join the Reveille? I worked at my student newspaper during my junior and senior years of high school, so it felt like a no-brainer. It was a smooth transition. What positions have you held at the Reveille? I was a sports reporter during my freshman year, covering soccer in the fall and the national champion gymnastics team in the spring. What’s your favorite thing about working at the Reveille? The experiences that the Reveille has offered me have honestly changed my life. When I got to cover the SEC and national championships for gymnastics and Alabama-LSU on a Saturday night in Death Valley, there were moments when I just took a step back and thought, “Wow, Ethan, you can do this. This dream isn’t so far-fetched.” What’s your favorite story that you’ve worked on so far? Last March, my mom walked into the living room while I watched a men’s college basketball game and said, “Wait, why do they play two halves instead of four quarters?” My dad had asked the same question days earlier, so I finally answered it. If you ask Google, my article is one of the first things that comes up. It’s pretty remarkable to think that people will be coming back to read my words for years to come. What do you hope to do after graduation? Inspire curiosity, spread compassion and change the world with art.