LSU Basketball Hits Rock Bottom in Blowout Loss to Arkansas
Whatever hope LSU fans carried into the PMAC Tuesday night vanished quickly-and then kept vanishing. The Tigers were hosting their first ranked SEC opponent of the season in Arkansas, but by the time the final horn sounded on a 91-62 loss, it was clear: this wasn’t just another rough night. This was a full-on unraveling.
Let’s call it what it was-LSU got dominated. From the opening tip, Arkansas came out with energy, execution, and a game plan that LSU simply couldn’t match.
The Razorbacks ran wild in the paint, throwing down lobs, cutting with purpose, and scoring at will. By the end of the night, they had piled up 64 points in the paint alone.
That’s not a typo. Sixty-four.
That kind of number speaks to a defense that just couldn’t hold its ground.
This wasn’t like some of LSU’s other recent SEC losses where they’ve shown flashes of fight, even without their floor general Dedan Thomas. Just two weeks ago in Fayetteville, they kept things close and lost by only four.
But this time? There was no fight.
No rhythm. No answers.
And certainly no confidence.
Offensively, LSU couldn’t get anything going. The Tigers shot just 31% from the field, struggled to find clean looks, and never found any sort of flow.
They were 2-of-10 from beyond the arc and left points at the free-throw line, going just 3-of-7-not counting the missed front end of a one-and-one. That’s the kind of shooting night that makes every possession feel like a mountain to climb.
Head coach Matt McMahon tried to explain it postgame. “I don’t think it was a lack of energy,” he said.
“There was a lack of execution at times... We have to score some.
You’re not going to hold them- they average almost 90 points a game.”
He’s not wrong about that. Arkansas came in as one of the highest-scoring teams in the country, and they looked every bit the part.
They didn’t even need the three-point line to do damage, shooting 56% overall and slicing through LSU’s defense possession after possession. The game turned into a rout early: 12-2, then 31-16, then 48-29.
Eventually, the Razorbacks led by as many as 36.
By the midway point of the second half, the PMAC was emptying out. The crowd, already light to begin with, thinned rapidly. Those who stayed mostly sat in stunned silence, with a few scattered boos that barely registered.
This wasn’t a team that quit. But it was a team that looked lost.
And that’s maybe even more concerning. Four years into this era of LSU men’s basketball, the Tigers still don’t seem to have an identity-no go-to scorer, no reliable defensive backbone, no system they can fall back on when things go sideways.
It’s not just that they’re losing. It’s how they’re losing.
And that’s what makes this stretch so hard to watch for fans who expected this season to be a turning point. The preseason goal was clear: be competitive in the SEC, and make a legitimate push for the NCAA Tournament.
But those hopes are long gone now, and what’s left is a team spiraling toward the bottom of the conference standings.
As for what comes next? That’s a question for later.
LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry has made it clear that evaluations will happen after the season. But nights like this one make it tough to imagine the status quo holding.
For now, LSU has to regroup-if not for the standings, then at least for some pride. Because the way things are going, the Tigers aren’t just losing games. They’re losing themselves.