Ah well, so much for that
Matt McMahon’s second season in Baton Rouge ended not with a bang but with a whimper as LSU was knocked out of the NIT by North Texas 84-77 Tuesday evening in the PMAC.
Don’t let the final score fool you, the game was nowhere near as close as the score says. North Texas led for 27 minutes and led by as many as 18 points. LSU was able to get within five points with 52 seconds remaining, but North Texas wouldn’t let the Tigers get any closer.
In their final collegiate games, Jordan Wright scored a game-high 25 points, Trae Hannibal scored 15, and Hunter Dean finished with 11. Hannibal also had a game-best nine rebounds.
I’m not sure what’s the right word to describe McMahon’s second season as head coach of the men’s basketball program. Promising? Frustrating? McMahon inherited an impossible situation a year ago and went 2-16 in the SEC. One year later he finished 9-9 and scored signature wins over South Carolina and Kentucky.
But since that buzzer beating win over Kentucky a month ago, LSU went 3-4 in its final seven games. LSU lost to Mississippi State twice: by 20 at home, and by 10 on a neutral court; they also lost by 11 to Eric Musselman’s worst Arkansas team, and of course their season was ended by a North Texas team that they had already beaten this season on a neutral court.
Rebuilding a program isn’t easy, and the SEC’s as strong of a basketball conference as it’s ever been. It’s only going to be tougher next season once Oklahoma and Texas are in the fold, too.
But despite that, there’s signs that McMahon is getting the Tigers back to being competitive. The downside is McMahon is losing the core of this team: Hannibal, Dean, and Wright are all out of eligibility, as are Mwani Wilkinson, Derek Fountain, and Will Baker.
As simple as it sounds, the biggest thing for McMahon will be acquiring and keeping talent. Tyrell Ward, Mike Williams, and Jalen Reed is a nice start assuming you can hold on to all three. LSU also has two high-four star prospects signed: power forward Robert Miller out of Texas (No. 66 overall), and point guard Curtis Givens out of Florida (No. 79 overall). LSU will have to work the portal to fill out its roster for the 2024-25 season, and they’ll have to get legitimate contributors, not just bodies to occupy roster spots.
Making the NCAA Tournament next season needs to be the expectation for Matt McMahon, not a hope. I’m not sure another home loss in round one of the NIT will be good enough.