LSU Men's Basketball is off to a hot start to the season. They're 7-1 with Quad 2 victories over UCF, Kansas State and Florida State, but the latter came with a cost. Just two minutes into the game, the Tigers star forward, Jalen Reed, went down with a knee injury, which was later confirmed to be a torn ACL, meaning he would miss the rest of the season.

On Friday afternoon, we met with LSU Head Coach, Matt McMahon, to talk discuss Reed's injury. You could tell he was heartbroken for Reed, who was one of the first players to buy into this program when he came here with absolutely nothing to sell.

"He's one of my favorite players I've had the opportunity to coach over the years," said McMahon on Friday. "He was the first guy when I got here and there wasn't a whole lot to sell. He was really the first top-100 player to hop on board and take a chance on us. Since then we've been able to sign our last seven guys as top-100 players. He's understood the process, he's worked extremely hard and you've seen him get better every year. So many players think it's an overnight success, but he's been bought in and understands the work that goes into it. He's a great teammate and has had a tremendous start to the season. I'm heartbroken for him."

McMahon was then asked if there had been any discussions about Reed's future at LSU. He's in his third year of college and probably could've given the NBA a look had he stayed healthy, but McMahon said they haven't gotten into those discussions yet. Their goal right now is to get him through surgery, which they're planning for next week.

With Reed out, a lot of guys are going to have to step up to fill his role. Corey Chest and Daimion Collins come to mind right away, but guys like Robert Miller, Derek Fountain and Noah Boyde (one he returns from his ACL tear) will also need to be ready for a larger role.

"You're just crushed and devastated for Jalen, and we'll be there to encourage and lift him up through this recovery process, but the other part of it, and not to sound cold hearted, but the season doesn't end. You get back in the gym and get to work and guys have to step forward in the opportunity that presents itself for them."

Reed started all eight games for the Tigers this season, so his absence leaves a large hole in the starting five. The Tigers still have a couple practices to go before their game against Florida Gulf Coast, but McMahon anticipates that Daimion Collins will get the start in place of Reed.

The loss of Jalen Reed cannot be overstated. He's been LSU's most productive player in the front court through eight games, and he was getting better and better every game. They're going to miss him down low, but they're confident they have built a roster that can still be competitive without him.

Stay up to date on all the LSU news with your premium subscription

Talk about this story and more in The Quad

Make sure you're caught up on all the latest LSU news

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video and live streaming coverage