The LSU Basketball season was a massive disappointment as the Tigers took a massive step back after an impressive 2023-24 season. The Tigers finished the season 14-18 with a 3-15 record in SEC play which led to the LSU Basketball team missing the NCAA Tournament once again. Leaving the season, it was clear that the LSU Basketball program needed to undergo some wholesale changes and the Tigers received an increased NIL budget.
The transfer portal saw that overhaul take place as the Tigers brought in 7 transfers while seeing 7 players depart the program. The elevated NIL budget had a massive impact for the Tigers as it helped Matt McMahon land UNLV star Dedan Thomas Jr to headline the roster.
After showing the impact that added resources can have in the transfer portal, LSU fans are hoping to see the same effect on the recruiting trail. Last season saw LSU miss out on elite recruit Chris Cenac Jr, a player LSU should ideally keep home. The Tigers staff constantly finds themselves in the mix for elite recruits, but with added NIL resources, the staff may be able to push the recruitments across the finish lines.
This week, LSU fans will get to see for the first time if the Tigers are able to push one recruit across the finish line.
Can Matt McMahon beat out John Calipari for elite recruit JJ Andrews?
On Thursday, one of the Nation's top recruits, JJ Andrews, will announce his commitment, deciding between LSU, Arkansas, and Missouri.
WHERE WILL BE THE NEXT STOP?! #CommitmentDay@LSUBasketball @MizzouHoops @RazorbackMBB pic.twitter.com/5IbbpLv7Nj
— JaShawn “JJ” Andrews (@JJAndrews2026) May 10, 2025
On3's Industry Recruiting Rankings rank Andrews as a 4-star recruit ranking as the 32nd ranked player in the class, the 7th ranked shooting guard, and the top player out of Arkansas.
LSU has been making a serious push for JJ Andrews to host Andrews on an official visit while staying in constant contact with Andrews. The difficult part for LSU will be beating out the other two schools, especially Arkansas as the In-State school with a legendary coach in John Calipari.
Landing JJ Andrews would be massive for the Tigers as he'd slot in perfectly with some of LSU's future pieces. The 6-foot-6 wing has been dominant in the EYBL, scoring 19.6 PPG while shooting 71.9% from the field and 50% from three. Landing an elite wing scorer in Andrews would slot in perfectly alongside Dedan Thomas Jr and potentially incoming freshman Jalen Reece.
IN DAT MODE…@NikeEYB @BradBealElite
— JaShawn “JJ” Andrews (@JJAndrews2026) April 28, 2025
vs Florida Rebels
26 PTS / 6 REB / 2 AST / 2 STL
🎥: @madehoops
https://t.co/u8UkhCqCYw pic.twitter.com/Rl7dsUU9VW
The Tigers will need to wait until 4:00 PM Central Time on Thursday to find out if they did enough to lure Andrews away from John Calipari but, it could be a massive statement for Matt McMahon.