| Matt McMahon took a moment to note that the start of practice Wednesday for his LSU men's basketball team marked the start of his 25th season in coaching. He chuckled at the thought of it. Now in his third season at LSU, McMahon hopes his Tigers get the last laugh on enough of their opponents to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022, the last season of Will Wade's tenure. Our Koki Riley was at McMahon's presser and LSU's first practice and came away with these five takeaways on the 2024-25 Tigers: ------------------- No concerns about LSU's center situation In terms of minutes played, LSU lost two of its top three centers this offseason with Will Baker and Hunter Dean running out of eligibility. But McMahon didn't seem concerned about the state of the position on Wednesday. "The game has changed. I think the days of needing to have a 6-foot-11, 275-pound bruiser down there, (because of) the way the game is played, are gone," McMahon said. McMahon likes the length and athleticism on the Tigers' frontcourt, and they do have some returning pieces. Former five-star recruit and Kentucky transfer Daimion Collins returns after missing nearly all of last season with a shoulder injury. Fifth-year senior Derek Fountain also comes back for his third season. In terms of additions, the Tigers signed four-star recruit Robert Miller and added junior college transfer Noah Boyde, who is seven feet tall. Corey Chest, who redshirted last season and never appeared in a game, is also expected to play a bigger role in the rotation. "It might look a little different as opposed to basketball in the 90s, where you had two centers down there in the paint," McMahon said. "But I think it opens up a lot of spacing opportunities for us on the offensive end, and will allow us to play at the tempo and in pace of play we'd like to." 'He's kind of built like the Honey Badger' Jordan Sears was one of LSU's biggest additions out of the transfer portal this offseason. The former UT-Martin guard led the Ohio Valley Conference in points per game and finished his Skyhawks career with the fifth most made field goals in program history. On Wednesday, McMahon compared the fifth-year senior to Saints safety and former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu. "He's kind of built like the Honey Badger," McMahon said. "He's just quick, he's athletic, he's incredibly strong. But I've really been impressed so far with his mentality." Injury updates LSU will start the new season relatively healthy. McMahon said that Boyde is about a month away from being fully cleared to play after having surgery on his ACL in December. Richmond transfer guard Dji Bailey is also dealing with a minor toe issue. But besides those ailments, the rest of the team is healthy. McMahon excited about freshman class LSU's incoming freshman class was the No. 14 class in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite. Miller and four-star guards Vyctorius Miller and Curtis Givens were all top 70 recruits in the nation. McMahon sees both Vyctorius Miller and Givens as excellent playmakers. Vyctorius' size as a 6-foot-5 guard and Givens' shooting have also stood out to him early on. Robert Miller, on the other hand, has gained 20 pounds to go along with his 7-foot-5 wingspan. "He's not a back to the basket old school post player. He's very skilled. He shoots it well from three," McMahon said. "He's going to be a really good player, but he also provides shot blocking with his length and athleticism around the rim." Trey'Dez Green update: When will he join the basketball team? Freshman tight end Trey'Dez Green reiterated on Tuesday that he intends to join the basketball team at some point. But both Green and McMahon said that the 6-foot-7 forward's focus is on football at the moment. "I was really proud of him getting his first touchdown reception in the home opener here against Nicholls State," McMahon said. ------------------ Back on the football beat, the Tigers are inching closer to Saturday's final non-conference game with South Alabama (6:45 p.m., SEC Network). The game won't be LSU's homecoming — that will be Oct. 12 against Ole Miss — but it will be a homecoming for USA coach Major Applewhite. The Baton Rouge native and former Catholic High quarterback has fond memories of Tiger Stadium, and will try to make a big new one by leading his Jaguars to an upset of the No. 14-ranked Tigers if they can. LSU is a big three-touchdown favorite, but it's worth remembering that South Alabama has outscored its last two foes — Northwestern State and Appalachian State — by a combined score of 135-24. LSU is much, much more talented than either of those teams, but that kind of offensive production certainly gets your attention. Wilson Alexander chimes in with this week's SEC power rankings, though the No. 1 spot in the SEC may have to go to Hurricane Helene as it roars toward the Florida gulf coast. Sending our thoughts and prayers out to our friends in Florida and Georgia over the coming days. We've got photos from men's basketball's first official practice for you as well. And, finally, Reed Darcey is back with his four keys to Saturday's contest. Thank you all for reading, subscribing and flossing regularly. Just forget about the last one. We're not here to judge. Until next time, Scott Rabalais | 
