LSU Basketball Hits Rock Bottom in Blowout Loss to Arkansas, but McMahon Focused on Fight Ahead
LSU’s 29-point home loss to No. 21 Arkansas on Tuesday wasn’t just another mark in the loss column - it was the Tigers’ most lopsided defeat of the season, and it came at a time when wins are more critical than ever.
At 14-10 overall and just 2-9 in SEC play, LSU is watching its NCAA Tournament hopes slip further out of reach. Against Arkansas, the Tigers trailed by as many as 36 points and spent just 4 minutes and 26 seconds within single digits. That’s not just a tough night at the office - that’s a full-blown unraveling.
The team’s first field goal from a starter didn’t come until there were just over 10 minutes left in the first half. That stat speaks volumes about the slow start and lack of rhythm that’s plagued this group during conference play. After the game, graduate transfer Pablo Tamba pointed to confidence - or the lack of it - as the biggest thing LSU needs to fix.
Head coach Matt McMahon didn’t sugarcoat the situation after a 12-point home loss to Georgia last Saturday, either.
“Obviously, there's great disappointment in where we're at from a record standpoint in SEC play,” he said. “Certainly not where we envision being at this point.”
And that’s the reality for a program now tied for last in the SEC standings. The next chance to stop the bleeding?
A road trip to Knoxville to face Tennessee (16-7, 6-4 SEC) on Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. local time.
A Season That Started with Promise
What makes this slide sting even more is how promising the early returns were. McMahon entered the season energized, talking about his belief in a team largely built through the transfer portal. He called the NCAA Tournament the program’s “North Star” - a goal LSU hasn’t reached during his tenure.
The Tigers opened the 2025-26 campaign with a bang. They took down Central Florida in a competitive exhibition on the road, then rolled through their early schedule, winning four of their first five games by at least 25 points. They entered SEC play with a 12-1 record, having notched wins over three high-major opponents in DePaul, Boston College, and SMU - the latter of which was ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll at the time.
Their lone blemish in nonconference play was a blowout loss to then-No. 19 Texas Tech in Fort Worth. But the biggest loss wasn’t on the scoreboard - it was on the injury report.
Injuries Begin to Take Their Toll
Forward Jalen Reed, a redshirt junior and one of LSU’s key returners, went down with a season-ending Achilles injury in the sixth game of the season. He was averaging 11 points on 60.6% shooting and grabbing six rebounds per game. Reed’s absence hurt, but McMahon had built a roster with size and depth, including four experienced rotation bigs.
The real turning point came the day before LSU’s SEC opener. Dedan Thomas - the Tigers’ top player and the crown jewel of their transfer class - injured his left foot in practice on Jan.
- At the time, the 6-foot-1 point guard from UNLV was averaging a team-best 16.2 points per game on 49.3% shooting, dishing out an SEC-high 7.1 assists, and committing just 1.8 turnovers per contest.
Simply put, Thomas was the engine that made this team go.
Without him, LSU dropped four of its next five games, including a 78-70 home win over Missouri that snapped the skid.
Missed Opportunities and Mounting Frustration
The Tigers’ conference opener - a three-point loss at Texas A&M - was competitive. But what followed were a string of games where LSU simply didn’t show up early and paid the price.
Against South Carolina, widely considered the SEC’s lowest-rated team analytically, LSU fell behind 24-5 within the first six minutes and trailed by as many as 28 in the first half. They lost 78-68 in a game that felt like a missed layup in the season’s bigger picture.
Then came a baffling home loss to Mississippi State on Jan. 28.
The Bulldogs entered on a five-game losing streak but jumped out to a 27-9 lead in the first 8.5 minutes and cruised to an 80-66 win. McMahon said afterward that his team had prepared well - but something clearly didn’t translate.
“For whatever reason, I didn't have them ready to go,” he admitted after the South Carolina loss.
And then there was the heartbreaker: a 75-74 loss to Kentucky at home on Jan. 14.
With 1.6 seconds left, the Wildcats went full-court and 7-foot freshman Malachi Moreno nailed a buzzer-beating mid-range jumper. It was a gut punch that could’ve easily derailed the team for good.
A Glimmer of Hope with Thomas’ Return
LSU did bounce back with that win over Missouri, and the return of Dedan Thomas gave the Tigers a jolt of optimism. He logged 17 minutes in an 18-point loss at then-No.
16 Florida, then helped LSU hang tough in an 85-81 road loss to then-No. 20 Arkansas.
But the momentum was short-lived. Thomas re-aggravated his foot injury in his third game back, and LSU has only managed one win since - an overtime thriller at South Carolina, 92-87.
McMahon Keeps the Focus Forward
Despite the setbacks, McMahon isn’t dwelling on what’s gone wrong. After the Arkansas loss, he was asked where he finds optimism with his team’s NCAA hopes fading and the SEC grind showing no mercy.
“I think when you're in coaching, it's a lot of fun when you're 12-1 at New Year's as we were and everything seems to be rolling smooth,” he said. “But this is also a part of coaching.”
His focus now? Keeping his team connected, helping players navigate adversity, and zeroing in on the next opportunity - which just happens to be one of the toughest environments in the SEC.
“While we're disappointed in the results, [we have to] find ways to get better, come back to practice and move on to the next most important thing, which is preparing for our game on Saturday,” McMahon said. “That's the only way I know to do it.”
For LSU, the road ahead doesn’t get easier. But if there’s any hope of salvaging the season, it starts with rediscovering the confidence and cohesion that carried them to that 12-1 start. With Thomas’ health still a question mark and the SEC schedule offering no favors, the Tigers are down - but McMahon’s not ready to count them out just yet.