The LSU men’s basketball team lost its fourth straight game last night in heartbreaking fashion. After leading Kentucky by as many as 18, The Tigers only led the Wildcats 74-73 with 1.9 seconds left to play. Kentucky’s Collin Chandler heaved a full-court pass into the hands of Malachi Moreno, who sunk an uncontested midrange jumper at the buzzer to win. Head coach Matt McMahon is devastated for his team.
“I’m crushed for our players. I’m crushed for our fans. The environment was awesome. Our players laid it on the line, did everything we asked from a scouting standpoint, from a preparation standpoint. So, just crushed we didn’t finish the deal,” McMahon said.
The Tigers are off to an 0-4 start in SEC play. LSU has been without senior guard DJ Thomas for four straight games as he continues to deal with a lower leg injury. LSU Athletic Director Verge Ausberry says on WWL Radio that he believes the team would be off to a better start had Thomas been available.
“I would think we would be in a better position if we had him on our team right now. I think we might be 4-0 in SEC play. So when he gets back, you know, we’re just going to evaluate and assess where we are. We’re not rushing to judgment,” Ausberry said.
With the loss to Kentucky, McMahon dropped to 14-44 in SEC play in his four years at LSU. As McMahon’s seat heats up, Ausberry says the LSU administration will wait until after the season to decide his future.
“We’ll let it play out and see where we are. At the end of the year, Dr. Rousse and all of us will get together and we’ll talk and we’ll evaluate. That’s every program. That’s not just basketball, but every program. We’ll sit down and do an evaluation of it and see where we are, and what are the next steps,” Ausberry said.