As LSU and Southern’s men’s and women’s basketball teams begin conference play, we preview the rest of their seasons and beyond

LSU Men

Could this be the year LSU makes it back into the NCAA Tournament? Expectations weren’t too high outside the PMAC. The Tigers were picked to finish 15th in the SEC.

Despite the doubt, LSU coach Matt McMahon has quietly assembled one of the most talented Tiger teams in recent memory, led by a transfer class ranked in the top 20 in the nation. Forwards Mike Nwoko and Marquel Sutton and guards Dedan Thomas Jr. and Max Mackinnon have made an instant impact, leading the team in points and minutes.

The Tigers are on the verge of cracking the top 25 for the first time since 2022, but the real tests are on the horizon. Conference play tips off with seven ranked SEC teams.

The Tigers suffered a blow when Jalen Reed was injured, but the new additions and sophomore Robert Miller III are hoping to showcase LSU’s depth as it enters the gauntlet of its schedule. If McMahon can figure out a way to make up Reed’s minutes while maintaining the production he’s getting from the Tiger transfers, LSU may be dancing in March once again.

LSU Women

It may be a new-look LSU this season, but expectations are unchanged. Only one contributor remains from the Tigers’ 2023 national title team and just two from last year’s Elite Eight squad, but with the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class and a handful of star transfers, Kim Mulkey and company still have sights set on the big stage.

Guards Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams are the faces of the team, leading all players in minutes per game so far. They’re also two of the team’s top four scorers. A pair of newcomers in MiLaysia Fulwiley and ZaKiyah Johnson rounds out the rest of the top four and showcases some of the new talent Mulkey has brought in. Fulwiley—a transfer from powerhouse South Carolina—brings a wealth of skill and experience, having played in two consecutive national championship games. She and her surrounding cast have helped LSU start the season 12-0. The Tigers scored 100 or more points in eight straight games, setting a new NCAA record that was previously held by Mulkey’s Louisiana Tech squad in 1982.

LSU is currently ranked in the top 5 in the country, and if they keep up the scoring spree, they’ll be a shoo-in for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Southern Men

Kevin Smith had a tall task trying to build off Southern’s strong 2024-25 season. The Jaguars lost six players from last year’s team that posted a 20-12 overall record and 15-3 conference record to win the SWAC regular-season title. Smith, entering his third season at the helm, tapped into the transfer portal to bring in new additions who are already making their mark. Forward Malek Abdelgowad, who transferred from Massachusetts, is averaging 9.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while Terrance Dixon Jr., a Lamar transfer, is posting 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

Add the team’s returning scoring leader in Michael Jacobs—who is putting up 22.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game—and a trio of seniors in DaMariee Jones, Cam Amboree and Joe Manning, and Southern has the makings of another exciting unit. The Jaguars were picked to finish second in the conference at this year’s SWAC media day, and they’ve opened the year 4-5.

One thing is for sure—Southern can score. The Jaguars have already hit 100-plus points three times this year and are averaging a whopping 92.3 points per game—the best in the SWAC by more than 10 points.

The season looks bright for Southern, which will try to use last year’s early exit in the SWAC tournament as motivation for a deeper postseason push and potential spot in the NCAA Tournament.