This season, the LSU Tigers finished second from last in the SEC with a 14-18 overall record (3-15 SEC). Head coach Matt McMahon’s record at LSU after three full seasons is now 45-53 overall. Even worse, he is 14-40 in SEC play over that same stretch with the Tigers. A great offseason is key in getting things turned around at LSU. This is because McMahon may be fighting for job security during the 2025-26 college basketball season. Here are three key points LSU should address this offseason for an improved team in a loaded SEC next season.
3 Goals for LSU and Matt McMahon in a Critical Offseason
1. Find Three-Point Shooting in the Transfer Portal
LSU ranked dead last in the SEC in three-point shooting as a team (30.5%). Therefore, this is a need that sticks out as a clear area of improvement. The Tigers are already losing their best three-point shooter in senior Camryn Carter. Vyctorius Miller is the next best option who is returning to Baton Rouge. However, the freshman shot only 31.8% from long range this past season.
Therefore, McMahon may need to go to the portal to find some more three-point shooting. For example, Donovan Dent from New Mexico entered the portal this week. He was shot 40.9% from three-point land for the Lobos and can be a big target LSU can pursue. He would also be a good guard to fill the hole that Carter left in the Tigers’ locker room. Addressing the three-point shooting woes from this season is a must for McMahon and LSU. It should be one of the top priorities.
2. Find Size on the Recruiting Trail (Transfer Portal/High School)
Much like three-point shooting, LSU finished dead last in the SEC in allowed rebounds by opponents. Thus, this is also a big priority for the Tigers in preparing for the 2025-26 season. The recruiting trail both via the transfer portal and high school prospects is where LSU should search for rebounding.
The Tigers have three four-star recruits within their 2025 high school recruiting class. One of those prospects could be part of the answer to LSU’s rebounding woes. That prospect is Matt Gilhool, a 6-foot-10 center from Philadelphia. He is the best player in the state of Pennsylvania, a top ten center in this recruiting cycle, and a top 100 player nationally. He chose LSU over schools like Georgia and Georgia Tech. The incoming freshman for next season can play a huge role in the Tigers getting the rebounding figured out. Just like the three-point shooting search, McMahon and his staff can also look to the transfer portal for big men to come into Baton Rouge.
3. Continue to Grow a Defensive Identity
One thing that LSU was not terrible at this season was defense. They were not great either, but they allowed 73.6 points per game to their opponents, which was sixth in the SEC. Even more eye-popping, the Tigers were a good shot-blocking team. They ranked fifth in the SEC in blocked shots per game with some great defensive teams like Tennessee and Auburn.
So, there is something to work with for the Tigers when it comes to their defense. It was part of the game that kept their Kenpom rating afloat within the top 100, the Tigers ranked 65th in the country in defensive rating. If McMahon and his coaching staff can build off of that with the combination of returners and newcomers that they bring in, LSU can begin to become more competitive in basketball again.
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