re: LSU basketball transfer portal watch

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And that's the problem. Our staff does not appear to have the ability to effectively sell our program to recruits with other options who don't have a connection to LSU.

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The did last year with guys like Reed (previously committed to Florida), Phillips (from Ohio) and (to a lesser extent) Ward from the DC area. They were also able to convince three players to stay. Two of which had no connection to LSU or Louisiana (Miller and Williams) other than they were recruited to LSU by Wade...who was gone.

Unfortunately for McMahon he is like a 1st time politician now running for a second term. He has as a record to defend for a second term whereas in running for his first term he could sell a lot of hopes and dreams. That record ain't good. So it is a tough sell.

I think the staff has done an admirable job thus far of making the best of the circumstances they (created) faced. Cook and Stewart are All-Conf. players. Wright is a vet with significant SEC experience and some degree of success. Baker is a guy talented enough to once be thought as a top 40 player and is an experienced guys with some degree of proven success. The staff has also managed (thus far) to keep their two highest recruits from last year who showed flashes of POTENTIAL to be good player. In the transfer era that is no small feat.

Fair or not though, this is a fulcrum year for McMahon. If LSU sucks again it is very likely even the solid Louisiana players won't want to join a losing program. The HS recruiting will continue to slide, good transfers will choose to go elsewhere as will guys on the current roster who will be good enough to be in-demand in the transfer marketplace. At that point you may as well pack up the ship and move on from McMahon because the outlook for improvement will be very bleak.

Is that a LOT of pressure to put on a 2nd year HC? Absolutely. But that is the world we live in with players having such freedom of movement. There is no more developing a "core" group with an eye on success in year 3 or 4. That core won't stay together long enough.

Former Tiger Efton Reid just committed to Wake Forest. A 5-Star recruit coming out of high school he never really showed the promise that was expected while in Baton Rouge and did not see much playing time for Gonzaga this past season. He will be much closer to home (Virginia) and the Demon Deacons have had success with a number of other transfers who drastically improved their production in a Wake Forest uniform. Former Gonzaga teammate and 5-Star recruit Hunter Sallis will also join him in Winston-Salem.

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Portal Targets
Joe Girard-Syracuse
Tre White-USC
Moussa Cisse-Oklahoma State

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USC transfer Tre White has committed to Louisville, per his IG page. Tremendous get for Kenny Payne.

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Not really surprising.

Damn nobody wants to come play basketball here for men's lol

Who are we going after now? I would assume a SG/SF and Backup Center. Any names that are availble?

Would have been fun watching Girard play for the Tigers but oh well, I kinda knew he wasn't going to come here unless they gave him a truckload of money. Those last three places are looking kinda grim now.

Lol I a idiot who can't read it's the deadline to declare for the portal not to decide. Let me go ahead and delete that one

Forward Hunter Dean from Mandeville just committed. Played 1 year at southern miss and 3 years at George Washington. Efficient scorer and rebounder. Not a great defender from an analytical stand point. Averaged 64% from the floor and had multiple games with double digit rebounds. Rated as a 3* transfer by On3. Pretty good pickup by Mcmahon to fill a weak spot

Hunter Dean Highlights

-Great size, motor
-Above Average athlete with some shot blocking ability
-From Louisiana
-Decent footwork
-Great hands


I like.