The pressure is officially on in Baton Rouge. With star point guard DJ Thomas back in the lineup, the LSU Tigers are staring down a pivotal stretch that could very well determine the future of head coach Matt McMahon.
Let’s not sugarcoat it - the Tigers’ season has taken a nosedive. After entering SEC play with a promising 12-1 record, LSU has stumbled to 13-7, and their NCAA Tournament hopes are hanging by a thread. What once looked like a potential breakthrough year is now teetering on the edge of collapse.
But context matters, and McMahon had a legitimate reason for the early SEC struggles. This team was built around DJ Thomas - and for good reason.
The freshman has been electric, averaging 15.3 points and an SEC-best 6.7 assists per game. His connection with big man Mike Nwoko has been a bright spot, and when Thomas is running the show, the offense just flows better.
The problem? Thomas went down with an injury right as conference play began, and the Tigers never found their rhythm without him. They’ve managed just one SEC win since, and the offense looked out of sync without their floor general.
Now Thomas is back, and while he looked rusty in his return against Florida, he showed signs of life in the next game - a narrow four-point road loss to a ranked Arkansas squad. That’s not nothing. It wasn’t a win, but it was a competitive showing in a tough environment, and Thomas looked more like himself.
With Thomas back in the starting five, the excuses are gone. LSU has to start producing - and fast.
The next two games are make-or-break: a home matchup against Mississippi State (10-10) followed by a road trip to South Carolina (11-9). These are games the Tigers should win.
More importantly, they’re games McMahon must win if he wants to keep his seat from catching fire.
LSU will be favored in both contests, and that alone raises the stakes. A sweep would be a much-needed jolt of momentum. But a loss - especially at home - would only fuel the growing doubts around McMahon’s tenure.
And let’s be honest, the doubts are warranted. McMahon is in his fourth season, and the results just haven’t been there.
Sure, there’s been some progress outside the SEC - the Tigers have improved against non-conference opponents - but that doesn’t move the needle in Baton Rouge. In conference play, the numbers are brutal: 15-46 overall, with a lone .500 season in year two.
Every other year? A winning percentage under .170 in the SEC.
That kind of track record doesn’t inspire confidence, especially with changes already underway in LSU’s athletic department. McMahon was a Scott Woodward hire, and with Woodward no longer in the picture, the leash could be much shorter. Interim AD Verge Ausberry won’t hesitate to make a move if he feels the program is stuck in neutral.
So here we are. Two winnable games.
A healthy star point guard. And a coach who needs results - now.
The next week could shape the direction of LSU basketball for years to come.