Matt McMahon overhauled LSU's roster after a rough 2024-25 season. Only two players return from last year's team that posted an SEC record of 3-15 and an overall mark of 14-18. Along with pulling from the transfer portal, McMahon and his staff continue working to build the 2026 recruiting class.
McMahon lost a golden opportunity to bring four-star recruit Brandon Bass Jr. to LSU, as Bass announced that he will attend Florida State. Bass Jr. is the son of former LSU basketball great and 2005 SEC Player of the Year Brandon Bass.
NEWS: 2026 4⭐️ Brandon Bass Jr. has committed to Florida State, he told @LeagueRDY.
— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) September 4, 2025
Bass Jr. is a 6-foot-4 lefty guard who is the son of 12-year NBA veteran, Brandon Bass. Can really shoot the ball and score in a variety of ways.
He chose Florida State over LSU, Purdue, UCF and… pic.twitter.com/3SH9QdavvJ
The 6-foot-4 combo guard is set to enter his senior season at Windermere Prep in Orlando, FL. According to Rivals, he is the 75th-best player in the country and the 11th-ranked player in Florida. Bass Jr. chose to play for at Florida State over offers from LSU, Purdue, UCF, and Cincinnati.
Brandon Bass' LSU ties can't bring son to Baton Rouge
Missing out on a recruit with LSU ties as strong as Bass stings. According to On3, Florida State gained the inside track on Bass' recruitment because his high school coach, Brian Hoff, played at Florida State with current Seminole head coach Luke Loucks. Loucks also knows Bass Sr. through NBA connections.
However, given the fact that his father was a standout for the Tigers, it's disappoitning to see McMahon fail to land Bass Jr. McMahon is not under the good graces of LSU basketball fans after holding a 14-40 record in SEC play over his three seasons in Baton Rouge. Needless to say, Tiger fans are hungry to see the LSU Basketball program get back on track.
A native of Baton Rouge, Bass Sr. played his high school basketball at Capitol High School. According to Rivals, he was ranked as the seventh best power forward in the country, as well as the 11th-best overall player in the nation for his recruiting class. He chose to stay local and play for the LSU Tigers over offers from UConn, Mississippi State, and USC, among others.
Bass played at LSU from 2003-05 and was named the SEC Rookie of the Year in 2004 and the SEC Player of the Year in 2005. During his time in Baton Rouge, Bass played in 59 games with 58 starts, averaging 15.1 points per game.
He declared for the NBA Draft following his sophomore season, and was ultimately selected with the 33rd overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets. From 2005-2017, he played for six franchises over a 12-year NBA career: New Orleans Hornets (2005-07), Dallas Mavericks (2007-09), Orlando Magic (2009-2011), Boston Celtics (2011-15), Los Angeles Lakers (2015-16), and Los Angeles Clippers (2016-17).