By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The LSU men’s basketball team stands at No. 35 in the critical NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings and at 12-1 going into the opening of Southeastern Conference play at Texas A&M (10-3, 67 NET) on Saturday (3 p.m., ESPNU).
The Tigers ended the 2024-25 season well below that in a 14-18 season overall, 3-15 in the SEC, and spent most of the season in the 50s and 60s of the NET or worse. LSU did enter SEC play last season at 11-2 on the season with a 52 NET, but promptly got off to an 0-3 start that was soon followed by a 1-10 mark.
LSU is clearly better this season, and the SEC is not quite the monster it was last season. But one of the major reasons for that is junior transfer point guard Dedan Thomas Jr., who was listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game late Friday on LSU coach Matt McMahon’s availability report to the SEC office with a lower leg injury.
Thomas has been spectacular as the quarterback of the offense this season with 7.0 assists a game for No. 1 in the SEC and No. 9 nationally while also leading the team in scoring with 16.2 points a game.
The Tigers’ only loss so far was by 82-58 on Dec. 7 at Texas Tech, which is 10-3 with a No. 20 NET now.
LSU followed that with an 89-77 win on Dec. 13 in New Orleans over SMU, which is 11-2 with a No. 28 NET now. So, the Tigers are an impressive 1-1 in Quad 1 opportunities. LSU had just one Quad 1 win all of last season at Oklahoma.
“We’ve got a lot of getting better to do,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “But all in all, I’m pleased with where we’re at entering league play.”
The Aggies and first-year coach Bucky McMillan, meanwhile, are 0-1 in Quad 1 chances as they lost to SMU, 93-80, in overtime on Dec. 7. McMillan replaced Buzz Williams, who left A&M for the Maryland job. McMillan previously coached at Samford in Birmingham, Alabama, where former LSU Final Four coach John Brady coached before coming to the Tigers.
LSU has a much more balanced offense now with a legitimate inside-outside game so far. The Tigers are 25th in the nation in scoring with 89 points a game and 28th in scoring margin at 18. There was virtually no inside presence last season after 6-foot-10 forward Jalen Reed was lost for the season with a knee injury. He is out for this season as well with an Achilles injury, but the Tigers are still strong there. And was not starting.
Mike Nwoko, a 6-10 junior transfer center, is averaging 16.1 points and 5.5 rebounds, while 6-9 senior transfer Marquel Sutton is scoring 14.2 a game with 9.6 rebounds and can score from the outside.
Transfer 6-7 senior forward Pablo Tamba is averaging 8.0 rebounds while scoring 6.8 points a game.
Senior transfer guard Max Mackinnon is a three-point ace, hitting 29 of 66 on the season for 43 percent.
Texas A&M is No. 4 in the nation in scoring with 96.2 points a game, and LSU is 123rd in defense with 71 points allowed a game.
“It’ll be more difficult certainly in the SEC, but we’re excited about that,” McMahon said. “If you’re a competitor, what else can you ask for for the next 10 weeks? Love to be going in 13-0, but we’re 12-1. I want our guys to build on the momentum that they’ve created.”
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