Matt McMahon has revitalized this LSU Men's Basketball program

When Matt McMahon left Murray State for the LSU head coaching job, he inherited an impossible situation. Virtually everyone on the roster was gone, they had just three recruits and the program was hit with a slew of NCAA violations.

McMahon was hired in late March of 2022 and had mere months to assemble a new roster. His 2022 transfer class included six players, three of which came with him from Murray State. Five of the Tigers top six scorers in 2022 came from the transfer portal, but there was next to no chemistry on the team.

The Tigers would roll to a 12-1 start, but once they hit SEC play, it was over. They managed to pull an upset on No. 9 Arkansas in their first SEC game but would go on to lose 14 straight and 17 of their next 18 games. It was a horrible finish to the season, and there were a lot of people questioning whether McMahon was the man for the job.

Entering 2023, the Tigers needed to hit the portal hard again, but this time, McMahon was able to be a lot more intentional. Instead of just finding guys to fill a roster, he was able to single out his targets. By doing so, he was able to come away with a lot of very talented players while also bringing four Louisiana natives home.

His 2023 transfer class ranked seventh in the nation and included the likes of Daimion Collins, Jalen Cook, Will Baker, Jordan Wright, Hunter Dean and Carlos Stewart. So far this season, Cook, Wright and Baker are the teams three leading scorers.

Surprisingly, this season started out worse than 2022. The Tigers won their first game, but would then lose two straight to Nicholls and Dayton. They'd bounce back and win three in a row, but would get blown out by three power five opponents in Syracuse, Kansas State and Texas.

After the Texas loss, the game where Jalen Cook returned, the team would finish non-conference play on a two-game win streak. McMahon has talked since then about the way his guys responded during the winter break and how hard they practiced:

At first it seemed like it was just a coach saying coach things, but he was right. Since the break before SEC play, this Tigers squad has looked like a completely different team.

They started conference play with a huge win on the road over a very good Texas A&M squad. In fact, that same Texas A&M squad just beat No. 8 Kentucky in Reed Arena about a week later.

They followed that game up with a nice win over Vanderbilt. The Commodores are one of the worst teams in the conference based on record, but they were still able to get to 2-0 in SEC play.

After that, they traveled to Auburn for their first ranked SEC matchup. They were immediately ran off the court by Auburn and found themselves trailing by 20-plus late in the second half. Instead of folding over, this team battled back and made a 20-2 run to get the game into single digits late. They didn't complete the comeback, but that effort embodies what this team is; a hardworking group that'll play until the buzzer no matter the score.

The Tigers latest challenge was welcoming the No. 22 team in the country, Ole Miss, into the PMAC for their second consecutive ranked matchup. The Rebels are led by Chris Beard and were 15-1 entering this game.

LSU got off to a real slow start, scoring three points in the first 4.5 minutes of the game. After a few minutes they began to find their rhythm, and like it's done so often this season, the defense was able to keep them afloat during that stretch. They'd enter the locker room with a 35-33 halftime lead despite the slow start and were feeling really good about their chances.

In the second half, this team came out throwing haymakers. They lit up the score board, scoring 54 points while shooting over 55% in the final 20 minutes. They led by as many as 16 points, but in the final couple of minutes, a few mistakes and missed free throws allowed the Rebels to climb within five points a couple of times.

However, each time Ole Miss threatened late, the Tigers responded with some clutch baskets of their own. It wasn't the prettiest way to close out a game, but they got it done nonetheless.

Now, in the middle of January, the Tigers sit at 11-6 overall and 3-1 in SEC play. I don't think anyone thought this team would win more than one or two conference games when they lost to Nicholls in their second game of the season, but this team has completely turned their year around and could earn a NCAA Tournament bid if they keep playing like this.

McMahon has not only made LSU's basketball team respectable again, but he's turned them into a team no one wants to play. They may not have the five-stars yet or the big names that some of the other schools have, but nobody wants to play a team as energized and defensively sound as the Tigers.

Matt McMahon has proven he's the guy for the job. It took a little longer than the fans wanted, but in all honesty, he's ahead of schedule when you really look at what he's had to overcome in 1.5 seasons as the head coach of LSU Men's Basketball.

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