With just about an entire new roster, first-year LSU men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon’s 12-game non-conference schedule objective was to schedule 10 contests vs. mid-major programs that allowed the Tigers to grow together while winning.

Since LSU is 11-1 including a 1-1 record vs. Power 5 schools (Wake Forest of the ACC, Kansas State of the Big 12), McMahon’s intent has been accomplished from a win-loss column standpoint.

But how much have the Tigers improved?

The big reveal starts Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center when LSU opens its 18-game SEC schedule vs. Arkansas (11-1), which is ranked No. 7 in the Coaches poll and No. 9 by the Associated Press.

“This is a great opportunity for us,” said McMahon, who has won his last 42 of 46 games including 31-3 last season in his seventh and final year at Murray State “Opening night in the SEC. Home. National television. Top 10 team on your floor. Our guys will be excited and are looking forward to the opportunity.”

LSU’s January SEC schedule features five games vs. five ranked teams including Arkansas again (a Jan. 24 return game in Fayetteville), at No. 17/19 Kentucky next Tuesday, at No. 8/9 Alabama Jan. 14, and home games vs. No. 20/23 Auburn Jan. 18 and No. 7/10 Tennessee Jan. 21.

One of McMahon’s early-season themes has been fine-tuning his playing rotation.

“Because every player is new,” McMahon said, “our rotation minutes and roles will evolve more on this team than any team I've ever been a part of.”

Three players – Murray State transfers KJ Williams and Juice Hill as well Illinois transfer Adam Miller – have started every game so far for the Tigers.

Williams, a 6-10 fifth-year senior forward, leads the SEC in scoring averaging 19.3 points and is fifth in rebounding (8.25).

Hill, a 6-foot senior point guard who started his college career at Arkansas, tops the league in assists/turnover ratio (3.13).

Miller, a 6-3 sophomore guard who transferred to LSU a year ago and sat out the season with a torn ACL, is averaging 13.5 points despite currently mired in a horrendous shooting slump hitting just 5 of his last 36 3-point attempts.

LSU was 7-1 before McMahon tinkered with his starting lineup.

He inserted Mississippi State junior transfer forward Derek Fountain into the lineup four games ago, benching freshman Jalen Reed.

The 6-10 Fountain’s game is all about relentless pursuit and he has been huge helping Williams handle rebounding duties. As a starter, Fountain is averaging 11.8 points and 8.5 rebounds while hitting 18 of 26 (69.2 percent) of his field goals.

“I think 80 percent of my points come from hustle plays,” said Fountain, who’s averaging 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds for the season and leads LSU in field goal percentage (31 of 45) at 68.9 percent including 2 of 3 3’s. “I haven’t made too many plays this year off the dribble.”

Three games ago, McMahon pulled returning junior Mwani Wilkinson from the starting lineup and replaced him with North Carolina State junior transfer Cam Hayes. McMahon was seeking better defensive rebounding from the perimeter as well as more assists and less turnovers.

In his three starts, the 6-2 Hayes is averaging 13.7 points (including 25 vs. Winthrop) and 2.6 rebounds with a 9-to-5 assists to turnover ratio while shooting 15 of 24 (62.5 percent) from the field including 6 of 13 3-pointers (46.1 percent).

“I just try and become a leader on a court, lead by example,” Hayes said. “Whether it’s scoring or playing defense, I just want to be able to do whatever I've got to do to help the team win.”

Arkansas, coming off two consecutive Elite Eight appearances under fourth-year head coach Eric Musselman, has 10 new players including five transfers and five freshmen composing a 2022 recruiting class that ranked second nationally.

Sixteen NBA scouts will be at Wednesday’s game, presumably to put eyes on LSU’s Williams as well as two Razorbacks including 6-7 freshman point guard Anthony Black and 6-6 Wichita State transfer guard Ricky Council IV.

Black, rated as the No. 1 high school point guard in the Class of 2022 by 247Sports, is averaging 12.6 points and 4.9 rebounds. Council is second in the SEC in scoring (18.3) and leads the league in minutes played (35:18).

Freshman guard Nick Smith Jr., a preseason first-team All-SEC choice, won’t play against LSU because of knee issues. He’s averaging 12.8 points but has played in only five games.

“We like our roster a ton,” said Musselman, who spent the 2014-15 season as an LSU assistant in charge of defense on the Tigers’ NCAA tournament team. “Different guys have stepped up at different moments. We’re kind of changing our identity as the season is progressing because of the injuries. Our ball club is a confident team, and we understand that we only have so many limited opportunities to play on the road.”

This will be Arkansas’ first true road game this season. The Razorbacks are shooting for their fourth win over LSU in the 2022 calendar year. The Hogs beat LSU 65-58 Jan. 15 in Baton Rouge, 77-76 in Fayetteville on March 2 and 79-67 in the SEC tournament quarterfinals March 11 in Tampa.

“I don’t really take what’s happened (in the past),” Musselman said. “it’s a new (LSU) coaching staff. Their style of play is much different. Most of our guys have not played against LSU, and most of their players have not played against Arkansas.”

The one thing Musselman knows after watching LSU on tape is the Tigers go as Williams goes.

“We’re trying to study Williams and break his game down for our guys,” Musselman said. “For instance, he’s made 93 field goals and taken a total of 27 dribbles.”