By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Forget who LSU played.
Yes, Tarleton State was 12-20 last season and 7-9 in the Western Athletic Conference.
But the Tigers looked like they will have an exciting offense in the 2025-26 season and a better inside presence on both ends as they blitzed the Texans, 96-60, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Wednesday night.
LSU (1-0) shot a blistering 70.2 percent (33-of-47) from the floor for second best in the 55 years of the Assembly Center for men’s basketball and third best in school history. LSU hit its overall record 71.4 percent when the No. 15 Tigers beat Clemson, 111-103, on a neutral court on Dec. 20, 1969, with Pistol Pete Maravich getting 49 points (22 of 30 field goals, 5 of 8 free throws) without the three-point shot along with nine assists. LSU’s best ever shooting percentage in the Assembly Center was 70.3 in a 112-65 win over Centenary on Jan. 15, 2003, when the Tigers were No. 23 in the country.
Senior guard Max Mackinnon, a transfer from the University of Portland, put on a show, hitting 6 of 7 from the floor and 4 of 5 from three-point range for 19 points and produced five assists.
LSU’s front court allowed just nine defensive rebounds to Tarleton State, equaling the lowest in LSU history since offensive and defensive rebounds became an NCAA category in the 1986-87 season. Florida grabbed nine defensive boards in a 70-52 loss to No. 16 LSU on Jan. 27, 1990, when Shaquille O’Neal prowled the paint.
Junior Dedan Thomas Jr. of UNLV played as advertised as the No. 6 transfer point guard in the nation as he hit 6 of 7 shots for 16 points and delivered eight assists with five rebounds. He also played very strong defense. Marquel Sutton, a senior transfer forward Omaha, hit 13 points. Junior transfer center Mike Nwoko of Mississippi State added 11 points and eight rebounds.
LSU basketball coach Matt McMahon really needs Jalen Reed to have a good season:https://t.co/Sdu1CngU2l
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) November 5, 2025
Junior returning forward Jalen Reed, whose inside force last season was never replaced, appears close to 100 percent after missing all but eight games of the 2024-25 season because of a knee injury (ACL – anterior cruciate ligament tear that required major surgery). He scored 11 points with six rebounds and two steals. And sophomore returning forward Robert Miller III put up 10 points with six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
“I thought you saw the unselfishness,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “Effort was really good. Just loved the efficiency.”
LSU had 21 assists in all. The Tigers led by 20 in the first half at 43-23 on a Reed free throw and led 47-31 at the half. The Tigers soon put the game out of reach in the second half.
Tarleton State fell to 0-2 under coach Billy Gillispie, a former coach of Texas A&M, Kentucky and Texas Tech.
“Max really got us going,” McMahon said. “D.J. (Thomas), you saw how he just orchestrates everything on the floor and can play defense. I love our group.”
LSU next plays on Monday at home at 7 p.m. against UNO (1-0).
“Great way to start the season,” McMahon said. “For having so many new guys (seven from the transfer portal and four freshmen), it’s impressive to see how connected they are here early in the season.”
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