The College Basketball transfer portal is closed as players will continue to sign with and commit to other schools, but players can no longer enter their names into the transfer portal. The LSU Basketball team has been quiet after a massive week of additions, as the LSU Basketball team hasn't added a player in a month.
The initial surge saw the LSU Basketball team land Dedan Thomas Jr (UNLV), Max MacKinnon (Portland), Rashad King (Northeastern), and Mike Nwoko (Mississippi State). The additions offset the transfer losses LSU suffered as Vyctorius Miller, Curtis Givens III, Daimion Collins, Noah Boyde, Mike Williams, Corey Chest, and Tyrell Ward all transferred this offseason.
The biggest losses for the Tigers are losing Cam Carter, Jordan Sears, and Dji Bailey, who are out of eligibility after starting this season for the Tigers.
As things currently stand this is what the LSU Basketball roster looks like before adding any additional pieces.
- Point Guards: Dedan Thomas Jr and Jalen Reece
- Wings: Max MacKinnon, Rashad King, and Mazi Mosley
- Centers: Jalen Reed, Mike Nwoko, Robert Miller III, Marquel Sutton, and Matt Gilhool
Has LSU added enough to make the NCAA Tournament and compete in the SEC?
This offseason, LSU retained Matt McMahon vowing to invest more NIL resources into the roster with the hope of building a roster that can compete in a loaded SEC and make their first NCAA Tournament under Matt McMahon. To this point in the offseason, the roster is better than last season but, there are still some holes and concerns that need to be addressed if LSU is going to achieve its goals next season.
The biggest concern currently lies at the point guard position after losing Curtis Givens right before the transfer portal closed. Behind Dedan Thomas Jr the only point guard on the roster is true freshman Jalen Reece and after this season, LSU may not want to put so much pressure on a freshman guard to run the second unit.
On the wing LSU made two key additions in Max MacKinnon and Rashad King but, after that the depth isn't there behind the two. Mazi Mosley can contribute but, the Tigers should be looking to add at least one more player on the wing to give the team an option off of the bench or as injury insurance.
The center position is easily LSU's most talented group thanks to the players LSU was able to retain along with a key addition. Jalen Reed and Robert Miller both return with a ton of experience playing inside at LSU and Miller only got better as the season went along. Mike Nwoko joins the Tigers with a full season of SEC starting experience while Marquel Sutton has the talent to be an elite scorer for LSU.
The Tigers have gone All-In on next season and it seems as if the Tigers are one big piece short of having the roster they're looking for. The staff doesn't need to set the roster as soon as possible and there may be a few reasons for LSU's slow pace as of late. Assistant Coach David Patrick has ties overseas as does General Manager Ronald Dupree which could allow the Tigers to add a high end player not on anyone's radar. There are also a ton of players in the transfer portal that may or may not be able to play next season which could have LSU's staff waiting for the NCAA to make a decision before they act.
It'll be interesting to follow the Tigers attempts to fill out the roster and which players McMahon and his staff show interest in as it could decide how LSU's season goes.