LSU’s season ends in Nashville with SEC Tournament loss to Vanderbilt
Matt McMahon’s inaugural campaign in Baton Rouge came to a close in Nashville on Thursday night. Facing Vanderbilt in Round 2 of the SEC Tournament, the Tigers dropped one 77-68.
LSU entered the tournament as the No. 14 seed after winning just two conference games in the regular season. The second of those wins came against Vanderbilt, but the Commodores got their revenge.
LSU began the tournament with a win over Georgia — a positive sign for a program that had little to hold onto through the winter. But the momentum was not carried into the second round.
KJ Williams, a bright spot for LSU all year who earned all-SEC honors, had another strong performance with a double-double and a team-high 26 points.
Williams will likely be gone after one year in Baton Rouge and replacing his production will be one of many tasks on McMahon’s mind entering the offseason.
LSU’s Cam Hayes had a solid night, adding 16 points. Vanderbilt had three players reach double-digits with Tyrin Lawrence’s 22 leading the pack.
LSU exceeded expectations in nonconference play and even generated some hope after beating Arkansas to kick off SEC play, but the optimism dissipated after a rough conference slate.
Last offseason brought plenty of change in Baton Rouge and this one could look similar. McMahon will bring back more players than he did last year but hitting the portal will be critical to LSU’s rebuild.
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