LSU men's basketball: Reactions to nail-biting loss at Georgia

On Thursday, all eyes will be on the LSU women’s basketball team and their nationally televised prime-time clash with South Carolina. But on Wednesday, all eyes in Baton Rouge were on the LSU men’s basketball team.

Unfortunately, Matt McMahon’s squad struggled in the low post and suffered their third SEC loss. LSU fans vented on social media quickly.

Much fan frustration this evening centers on graduate forward Hunter Dean. According to one X (Twitter) user, LSU was out-rebounded by the Bulldogs because Dean lacks the fundamental ability to box out opponents and put himself in position to snag the ball off the boards.

Another user complained of graduate forward Will Baker’s inability to secure the offensive rebound on LSU’s final possession. Some fans went further by labeling the entire lineup “soft.”

Conversely, there were many positive responses to the Tigers’ performance on Wednesday. Some X (Twitter) users commended the team for putting up a good fight and continuing to flash potential.

Indeed, tonight’s loss was somewhat heartbreaking.

McMahon’s team started the year rough, losing non-conference games to Nicholls, Dayton, Syracuse, Kansas State, and Texas. However, the LSU men’s basketball team showed signs of life after opening SEC play with big wins over Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

Unfortunately, the Tigers remain a flawed lineup that continuously struggles to find an identity and style of play capable of competing with college basketball’s larger frontcourts. LSU has grown much from a year ago, but losing games to inferior basketball programs like Georgia feels like a step back.

I expect that many fans will call for McMahon’s dismissal if his squad cannot string together more than a pair of wins against formidable opponents.

Next up for the LSU men’s basketball team is a Saturday night game against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Suddenly, beating the Crimson Tide in Coleman Arena is a must-win game.