Matt McMahon picks up massive wins in retaining Tyrell Ward and Jalen Reed

While a majority of the programs around college basketball have been focused on adding players via the transfer portal, Matt McMahon and LSU Basketball have been focused on keeping the pieces from this season's team in place. The LSU Basketball team got a massive boost that went under the radar with the Spring Football game as both Tyrell Ward and Jalen Reed announced they'll be returning for the 2024-25 season.

The duo will pair with UT Martin transfer Jordan Sears as key starters for the Tigers next season as they look to improve from their 17-16 season this year. The trio will need to step up in replacing leading scorer Jalen Cook who declared for the NBA Draft and second-leading scorer Jordan Wright who's headed to the NBA Draft after running out of eligibility.

Tyrell Ward was solid for the Tigers this past season scoring 9.1 points per game with 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 42% from three on five attempts per game. The former top-20 recruit will look to step into a key role for the team after seeing a massive jump in playing time. If the Tigers want to contend for an SEC Championship in 2024-25 they'll look to get Ward the ball often as one of the top shooters in the league.

Jalen Reed is also coming off of a successful sophomore season, scoring 7.9 points per game while grabbing 4.1 rebounds per game. Like Ward, Reed became one of the best shooters in the SEC shooting 39.4% from three a massive improvement from his freshman season on 33 attempts. Reed took a backseat to Jalen Cook at times this season but, with the departure fo Cook Reed will see an increased role in which he should flourish in 2024.

It's time for LSU Basketball to start contending again

Following the abrupt ending to the Will Wade era in Baton Rouge, it was expected that the Tigers may take a step back for a season or two as they adjusted the direction of the program. After two seasons with Matt McMahon at the helm, it's time for LSU Basketball to return to contention in the SEC. LSU will bring in the 13th-ranked recruiting class this year with three four-star recruits and two transfer guards. The talent coming back for LSU is massive and this recruiting class is good enough to compete in the SEC and nationally as the Tigers look to return to National contention.