Just in time for March Madness, see how our basketball predictions fared
The basketball-themed January 2026 issue of 225 included previews and predictions for the LSU and Southern men’s and women’s basketball teams as they headed into conference play. Now, as the regular season has concluded and the NCAA Tournament begins this week, we’re taking a look back to see how we did. Read on to compare what we said in January and how the teams stand now.
LSU Men
The prediction:
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.
The result:
The Tigers finished the regular season with a 15-17 overall record and a 3-15 record in SEC play. With an 87-82 loss to Kentucky in their opening game in the SEC Tournament, the Tigers’ dismal season came to an early end.
LSU Women
The prediction:
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.
The result:
It was another stellar regular season for the Lady Tigers, who finished 27-5 overall and 12-4 in conference play. The team fell to perennial powerhouse South Carolina in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, but four LSU team members picked up individual SEC Awards, including Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams on the All-SEC First Team, ZaKiyah Johnson on the All-SEC Freshman Team, and MiLaysia Fulwiley as SEC Sixth Woman of the Year. The Lady Tigers earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host first- and second-round games in the PMAC starting this Friday, March 20.
Southern Men
The prediction:
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.
The result:
The Jaguars finished flat with a regular-season record of 17-17 but fared better in the SWAC with a 11-7 conference record. The team advanced to the finals of the SWAC Tournament but fell short in the end with a 72-66 loss to Prairie View A&M.
Southern Women
The prediction:
Expectations are high for Southern entering the 2025-26 season after the team’s historic run a year ago. The Jaguars went 20-12 overall and 15-3 in conference play, won both the SWAC regular season and tournament titles, and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament, where they beat UC San Diego in a First Four game to secure the school’s first NCAA Tournament win.
If Southern continues to build off that success, it’ll be through a true team effort. The Jaguars under coach Carlos Funchess rotate their players in units, meaning essentially two full lineups cycle in and out together. Production doesn’t come from one superstar point scorer but from a variety of players contributing in multiple ways.
No player is averaging double figures in scoring, but seven Jaguars are putting up between 4 and 8.7 points per game. Sophomore DeMya Porter and Coastal Carolina transfer Zaria Hurston have been the slight leaders of the pack so far as the team’s top two scorers and rebounders.
Southern has started the season 3-5, which is not uncommon during the brutal non-conference schedule. Last year, the team opened 0-8 before going on its deep postseason run, and all five losses have come to nationally ranked opponents. The Jaguars will be truly battle-tested by the time SWAC play begins on New Year’s Day.
The result:
The Lady Jags’ SWAC Tournament championship win was the cap on an exciting season for the team, which finished 19-13 overall and 12-6 in conference play. The conference tournament win meant an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the Jags; the 16th-seeded team will face off against Samford in a “First Four” game this Thursday, March 19.
