re: Do Reid, Fudge, Murray and Miller stay to play for Coach McMahon?

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He’s athletic hustles and shot much better in the second half of the year.

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Absolutely true, A.B.
I'm not in with the "street ball" crowd but Gaines has to be the subject of much of their ire. Call his game what you want but to me he has been much more of an out of control "me first" player who has to - and has - learned hard lessons before he will adjust his game accordingly.
How many times last season and the beginning of this one, did he go into the lane, leave his feet in traffic, and double pump before somebody rocketed his shite into the mezzanine? We actually made a drinking game out of the times his shots got blocked last year!
The stint as a starter this season did wonders slowing that shite down but what did he do the first two times he touched the ball vs Iowa State? You guessed it - drove into the lane, left his feet, double pumped, and his shite got launched off the forehead of some fat lady in Row 27. The bright lights came on and he reverted to making self induced mistakes that it seemed he had outgrown. That tells me the "it's all about me" factor is still there.
There were also instances where he went away from players who were hot. In one game Days had hit 2 threes in a row (!) and came off a screen - a play which had obviously been called from the bench - for 3 where the defender went underneath and EG looked right at him then tried to penetrate to the other side of the lane. There were other instances like this.
Before they started running back screens to get the ball to Eason at the left side top of the key so he could dribble right, they had been running him off the same screen that had Days open. EG made many passes that were just a little high/low/wide to stop TE's - and other players in other instances - momentum. The screen from the high post player that was designed to give TE momentum towards the FT line/lane pretty much disappeared at some point when EG was on the floor. Anybody with time to look at the games again can see this.
All that being said, I'm not saying the kid won't/hasn't had a nice college career. He has already distinguished himself as a top defensive performer and I hope he stays. Think about the improvement he's shown from last year through the end of this season. It would be a shame for LSU not to benefit from the growing pains he and the team have endured with this kid (and others of course).
I think we should have a 50/50 shot at him staying. How could he not want to be coached by the man who developed Ja Morant? If EG thinks he's that good why would he leave? Other coaches see exactly what MM sees. A player with exceptional ability that needs constant coaching up. He needs to be made to see that the team concept benefits him and will develop and showcase his floor game/talent for the next level better than just a flashy one-on-one game. And MM can show him how that kind of game can flourish in a team concept just like he did with Morant.
Like I said, I hope he stays but I can see him going to another P5 or a mid major where he believes he will be the Cat's arse. Also like I said, other coaches will see the same player and the same issues as MM will see. For my money he should stay put because of the above reasons. If he has mentally matured as much has his game has improved on the court - and if that's enough for him to make a serious assessment of his game - I think he will.
That's where I'm at with him A.B., what you got?