Last week was a total overhaul of the LSU Basketball teams roster as the transfer portal losses started to slow while LSU made five massive additions to the roster. After going 3-15 in SEC play it was clear that LSU needed to make some massive changes as you aren't that bad just because of coaching, the players or recruiting rather its a ton of reasons. The Tigers chose to heavily invest in Matt McMahon with added NIL funds and the results have been promising.
As LSU retools the roster with a ton of players leaving and five (for now) players coming in, the lineup looks totally different. While transfer additions may be added, at this point in the offseason it appears that LSU's starting five is set.
PG - Dedan Thomas Jr
This transfer portal cycle, LSU went out and got their starting point guard, landing UNLV star,,Dedan Thomas Jr, which should end the revolving door of poor point guard play we've seen the past few seasons. Thomas comes into LSU after two solid seasons at UNLV, where he averaged 15.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 4.7 APG while shooting 41.3% from the field. Thomas is currently ranked as the 14th best player in the transfer portal and the 5th ranked point guard, which is a massive addition for LSU.
Dedan Thomas Jr becomes the centerpiece of everything LSU will look to do in 2025-26 as they look to rebound from a 3-15 season in the SEC. Thomas can create for himself, but he can also create for others, which makes it important that the team is properly built around him. Matt McMahon and his staff didn't go all out to land a Top 15 transfer to bring him off the bench; Thomas will start for LSU at point guard.
SG -Rashad King
After landing Dedan Thomas Jr, the LSU Basketball team needed to go out and land a talented shooting guard who can knock down open shots when Thomas Jr kicks the ball out. In Rashad King, LSU is getting a three-level scorer that'll make opposing defenses work the most. After LSU was undersized in every game they played, adding a 6-foot-6 player on the wing gives LSU some of the size they were lacking to go along with his scoring ability. If King can take the next step as a three-point shooter, the Tigers' offense will be much improved and incredibly difficult to defend.
SF - Max Mackinnon
Part of LSU's struggles in 2024-25 was the fact that the Tigers couldn't ever knock down the three-pointer with consistency, shooting just 30.5% from three. In Portland transfer Max Mackinnon, LSU gets its reliable shooter on the perimeter as Mackinnon knocked down 40.7% of his three-point shots in 2024-25. The Tigers lacked a player with Mackinnon's size and ability to knock down open shots on the wing this season, and with Dedan Thomas Jr running the offense, he'll get plenty of open looks.
PF - Marquel Sutton
LSU made landing size a priority, especially at the forward positions, after LSU needed to play small ball lineups at times in SEC play, as the Tigers simply didn't have enough players with size. Marquel Sutton comes in after an incredible season in the Summit League giving LSU a skilled power forward to replace Daimion Collins.
Marquel Sutton has the size and physicality to compete on the glass in the SEC but the Tigers would like to see him take his game as a defender to the next level. Sutton is at his best attacking on the inside but, he's a willing three point shooter who shit 27% from beyond the arc making him a great three level threat for LSU.
C - Jalen Reed
The moment when the LSU Basketball season went off the tracks was when starting Center Jalen Reed was lost for the season to a torn ACL. Reed was the Tigers' best player on the inside, bringing a consistent presence to the offensive glass while being the answer when LSU needed an easy bucket inside. The concern will be over what Jalen Reed looks like post ACL surgery but, he doesn't play with an explosive style that it'd affect his game too much. If LSU isn't able to get Reed back for the start of the season, Robert Miller III and Mike Nwoko are great options behind him.