LSU Basketball

Four-star cornerback Kade Phillips has re-committed to Texas.

Phillips, who had previously committed to Texas before flipping to LSU in August, has flipped back to Texas, per On3's Hayes Fawcett.

BREAKING: Five-Star CB Kade Phillips has Flipped his Commitment from LSU to Texas, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’1 185 CB from Missouri City, TX had been Committed to the Tigers since August

“God can’t fail, Hook Em”https://t.co/jfZR1XOU70 pic.twitter.com/Vwd03HzhGb

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 3, 2024

The Longhorns appeared to react to the announcement on X:

🤘🤘🤘

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) December 3, 2024

Phillips is ranked as the No. 6 cornerback in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. He was previously committed to Texas from July 6 to August 18.

"I'm very happy with my decision," Phillips told Horns247's Jordan Scruggs in a text about his Texas commitment. "I feel like it's the best overall fit for me."

Phillips added that Texas' work with Jahdae Barron, who was named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football following his fifth season with the team, was another reason he decided to flip.

Phillips could officially commit to the Longhorns as soon as Wednesday when the Early Signing Period opens for three days.

This time around, Phillips is on track to commit as a cornerback. He had originally committed to Texas as a safety before flipping to LSU as a corner.

Phillips originally told On3's Chad Simmons that his recruitment was over after committing to the Tigers in August.

"LSU has been on me ever since they first offered me," Phillips told Simmons in August. "It was a little while once I committed to Texas with them still texting and calling me almost every day."

It sounds like Texas similarly didn't give up on Phillips even after his August flip. According to Scruggs, cornerbacks coach Terry Joseph began driving the Longhorns' recruitment efforts since then, which could have contributed to Phillips' decision.

247Sports analyst Hudson Standish compared Phillips to Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum while describing him as a "high upside defensive back who offers positional flexibility and owns one of the best track and field profiles in the 2025 recruiting cycle."

Phillips holds a personal best 200-meter dash record of 21.50 seconds recorded during the 2024 outdoor track season.

He will now contribute his speed to a Texas defense also adding five-star safety Jonah Williams and four-star edge rusher Lance Jackson from the Class of 2025.

The addition of Phillips bumped Texas to rank fourth to only Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State for the strongest 2025 recruiting class in the nation, per 247Sports.

Josh Maravich, the son of LSU legend Pistol Pete Maravich, died Friday.

He was 42.

LSU noted Maravich died in his family home in Covington but did not announce his cause of death. Maravich followed in his father's footsteps at LSU, playing for the Tigers from 2001 to 2005.

"I wanted to come here for my dad to make him proud," Josh told The Daily Reveille in 2005. "I knew I wasn't going to be a star player, but for me being a walk-on was what I always wanted to do."

Pete Maravich died of a congenital heart defect in 1988. He was just 40 years old. A legend at LSU and one of the most innovative offensive players in NBA history before injuries cut his career short, Pete Marvich was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.

Josh was just five years old at the time of his father's death. Josh Maravich is survived by is mother, Jackie Maravich McLachlan, and her husband James and his brother Jaeson.

The LSU women's basketball program is loading up for another NCAA title run.

DePaul transfer Aneesah Morrow told ESPN's Alexa Philippou on Friday that she has committed to Kim Mulkey's Tigers for the 2023-24 season. USC and South Carolina were also finalists for the rising junior forward.

Morrow told Philippou:

"I'm never intimidated by playing against or playing on a team with amazing, talented players. That's what I want to be surrounded around. I want to be around players who are going to make me better. I feel like we're going to challenge each other on a day-to-day basis. We all have the same end goal, and that's to win the national championship, to win the conference."

Morrow is the second elite transfer to commit to LSU this offseason, joining former Louisville guard Hailey Van Lith.

Angel Reese, who spent two seasons at Maryland before transferring to LSU for the 2022-23 season, played a role in Morrow's recruitment to the defending national champions, as she told Philippou:

"Angel Reese talked a lot about how she would love to have me there as a teammate, but it wasn't just her. It was the other girls on the team as well. They specifically talked about winning. That's what they want to do there, and that's what I'm trying to do. I feel like as athletes and true competitors, you want to win day in and day out. And when you come together as a team, you know that you can accomplish that."

Morrow spent the first two seasons of her college career at DePaul and earned All-America honors both years. She put together an impressive 2022-23 campaign, averaging 25.7 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 33 games. She shot 42.5 percent from the floor and 25.4 percent from deep.

Though they've lost three starters, the Tigers remain one of the top teams in the nation with the additions of Van Lith and Morrow to play alongside Reese.

Additionally, LSU pulled in ESPN's top-ranked recruiting class by landing Mikaylah Williams, Aalyah Del Rosario, Angelica Velez and Janae Kent.

Reese will be a senior next season, and the Tigers will look to go out on top before losing their best player to the 2024 WNBA draft. With the many additions Mulkey has made, LSU has a great shot to repeat as champions.

Mikaylah Williams, the top-ranked recruit in the class of 2023, has committed to LSU.

The Louisiana native announced her decision in a video posted on Twitter.

"In order to take my game to the next level and to continue to learn and grow as a young woman, there's only one place where I've wanted to be. Home," Williams said in the video. "I've decided I'll be attending the Louisiana State University."

Grateful for the process and excited to announce where I will be playing college basketball! @playerstribune pic.twitter.com/eWRqa6R7YU

— Mikaylah Williams (@mkwill12_) June 24, 2022

ESPN HoopGurlz has Williams ranked as the No. 1 recruit with a 98 overall grade in next year's recruiting class. She also had Duke, Baylor, Mississippi and Texas A&M on her list of five finalists.

Williams was a finalist for the Naismith High School girls Basketball Player of the Year award. The 6'1" guard was the lone junior among the group of finalists. She won the 2021-22 Gatorade Louisiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year award in March.

In 35 games as a junior at Parkway High School, Williams averaged 22.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The Panthers went 33-2 and reached the Class 5A state championship game, losing to Ponchatoula in double-overtime.

Williams' commitment is a huge recruiting win for Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey. The Hall of Famer made an immediate impact on the program with a 26-6 record in 2021-22, her first season at LSU after 21 years at Baylor.

LSU's 26 wins were its most in a single season since going 31-6 and reaching the Final Four under Van Chancellor in 2007-08.

This marks the second top-100 recruit from the 2023 class for LSU. Janae Kent, a 4-star prospect and No. 46 overall player in HoopGurlz's rankings, committed to the program in March.

Williams is scheduled to play for Team USA in the FIBA U17 World Cup in Hungary from July 9-17.

Shareef O'Neal told reporters on Tuesday that he and his father, Hall of Fame center and TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal, have disagreed on his decision to turn pro ahead of the NBA draft.

Shaq wanted Shareef to finish school, and the two haven't discussed his workouts because it's become a tense subject.

Shareef O’Neal says he and his dad have butted heads over pre-draft process because Shaq wanted him to stay in school. Adds that his dad probably doesn’t want him sharing this, but, “I’m a grown man. I’m 22 years old I can make my own decision.”

— Bill Oram (@billoram) June 21, 2022

"I'm not backing down from nobody," he said. "I know he's an NBA legend, I know he's my dad, but it was right in front of me, I had to go get it. So, if he likes it or not, it's not really gonna stop me from doing what I want to do."

Shareef O'Neal was a 4-star prospect coming out of high school, but a number of injuries and a heart condition limited him to just 37 college games between UCLA and LSU. He averaged 2.6 points and three rebounds per game during his college career and wasn't a huge factor for the Tigers this past season, playing just 9.2 minutes per game across 14 contests.

That makes him very unlikely to get drafted, though a team could take a flier on him as an undrafted free agent.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman didn't have O'Neal being selected in his latest two-round mock draft. Neither did SI.com's Jeremy Woo. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie didn't have him listed as one of the top 100 players on his 2022 NBA draft big board.

Given his injury history, age and limited production in college, any team that does sign O'Neal would be banking on pedigree and raw upside. That makes his father's perspective—that he should have remained in school—easier to understand.

On Tuesday, he worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers, where Shaq and Kobe Bryant combined to win three titles.

"I walked in today and I was kind of star struck," he told reporters. "I was born into this team. My dad and Kobe won championships with this team."

"Now I got the Lakers jersey on," he added. "... I got a Lakers No. 6 on. Hopefully LeBron doesn’t get mad."

It appears that Shareef O'Neal will be on the move again.

According to Stadium's Jeff Goodman, O'Neal entered the transfer portal after spending the last two seasons at LSU. The junior forward, who is the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, joined the Tigers after transferring from UCLA.

After a strong high school career, O'Neal has not played much in college.

He signed with UCLA in 2018 after decommitting from Arizona. He redshirted in his first year after undergoing surgery for a heart condition. He appeared in 13 games in 2019-20 and averaged 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds.

O'Neal didn't fare any better with LSU, which is his father's alma mater. His sophomore season was derailed by foot injuries. In 10 appearances, he posted averages of 2.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.

The 6'10", 220-pounder spent nearly a year off the floor before returning in mid-January. He appeared in 14 games and averaged 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.2 minutes.

While O'Neal has not put up numbers that would make him a coveted target in the transfer pool, he will likely still draw a lot of interest based on his potential. Per 247Sports, he was a 4-star recruit and the No. 41 player in the 2018 class.

LSU men's basketball forward Tari Eason has declared for the NBA draft:

💜 pic.twitter.com/ee05VT0fGA

— Tari Eason (@TAR13ASON) March 25, 2022

The 6'8" Eason averaged 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the floor during the 2021-22 season. 

He played his first collegiate season at Cincinnati in 2020-21 before transferring to LSU.

The latest NBA mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has the 20-year-old Eason going 12th overall.

"Scoring versatility and defensive toughness could help Eason draw lottery looks," Wasserman wrote.    

"At 6'8", 216 pounds, he stands out for his ability to face up and drive, outwork opponents at the rim, guard multiple positions and make plays on the ball defensively."

Plenty of others have Eason as a first-round prospect and fringe lottery player, including Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer (12th overall), Bryan Kalbrosky of USA Today (13th), Kyle Boone of CBS Sports (18th) and NBADraft.net (30th).

ESPN's Jonathan Givony ranks Eason as the No. 15 overall prospect and gave more insight into his collegiate career path.

Eason took a unique trajectory to emerging as a potential lottery pick. He was a three-star high school recruit who initially committed to Cincinnati, where he came off the bench as a freshman and averaged 7.3 points in 19.5 minutes per game.

Last summer he elected to transfer to LSU after a coaching change and immediately emerged as one of the most improved players in college basketball, helping his team to a 12-0 start and eventually a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament.

LSU is undergoing significant changes after Will Wade was fired before the NCAA tournament following accusations of five Level I NCAA violations during his tenure. Kevin Nickelberry took over as the interim coach for the NCAA tournament, in which LSU lost to Iowa State in the first round.

At this juncture, Eason looks like he's making a great decision following a fantastic season coupled with uncertainty within the Tigers program at the moment. He shouldn't wait long to hear his name at the NBA draft, which is scheduled to take place on June 23.

Top 2022 prospect Yohan Traore announced Tuesday he decommitted from LSU, via Joe Tipton of On3:

I would like to first thank Coach [Will] Wade and the staff for giving me an opportunity to be apart and play for Louisiana State University. Was really looking forward to competing for the LSU Tigers and playing for the great fan base that LSU has. Due to the recent changes within the basketball program, my family and I have decided to reopen my recruitment. Looking forward to finding a new place I can call home.

Wade was fired earlier this month following an NCAA notice of allegations that accused him of five Level I violations and one Level II violation.

Traore is a 5-star recruit and the fourth-best center in the class, per 247Sports' composite ratings. 

At No. 15 overall, the Dream City Christian player became the second-highest-rated uncommitted player in the class behind only No. 12 Julian Phillips, who was released from his letter of intent with LSU.

Devin Ree and 2023 prospect Marvel Allen have also backed out of their commitments to LSU since the Wade firing, leaving the Tigers with zero prospects.

LSU named former Murray State coach Matt McMahon its new men's basketball coach Monday, but he will have an uphill battle to build back the roster.

Traore, meanwhile, should get plenty of attention from other programs as a skilled big man with elite size and athleticism. The 6'10", 225-pounder could provide immediate help with his rebounding and finishing inside, while his outside shooting touch gives him even more upside.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman recently listed Traore as a potential one-and-done with an eye toward the 2023 NBA draft.

Traore had offers from programs including Gonzaga, Kansas and UCLA before he committed to LSU, and Tipton noted Auburn could be "a major contender" for the center.      

The 11th-seeded Iowa State Cyclones upset the sixth-seeded LSU Tigers 59-54 in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday in Milwaukee to move onto the second round in Midwest Region action.

It was an impressive win amid an incredible turnaround season under first-year head coach TJ Otzelberger. The Cyclones finished 2-22 last season and entered the NCAA Tournament with a 20-12 record this season. 

While many thought LSU was going to have the better defensive performance at Fiserv Forum, it was Iowa State's defense that suffocated the Tigers and caused them to make silly mistakes, which ultimately cost them a spot in the second round. 

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Notable Stats

Tyrese Hunter, Iowa State: 23 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 5 STL

Darius Days, LSU: 14 PTS, 12 REB, 2 STL

Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State: 19 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 3 STL

Tari Eason, LSU: 18 PTS, 4 REB

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Iowa State's Swarming Defense Too Much for LSU 

In a battle of two defensive-minded teams, the Iowa State defense proved to be much more effective on Friday night at Fiserv Forum.

The Cyclones' defense was especially effective in the first half, holding LSU to just 19 points, the lowest scoring output for the Tigers in a first half this season.

Aljaz Kunc protects the rim for Iowa State 🚫#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/1jPelL3nDz

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2022

And while LSU was able to find more success in the second half, Iowa State's defense was still a gamechanger as it forced 19 turnovers throughout the game. Any progress the Tigers made was essentially eliminated by a turnover. 

This performance from the Cyclones shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise. During the regular season, they forced 13.8 turnovers and 8.4 steals per game. 

The team's defensive efficiency is what helped power its offense, too, as it was able to effectively transition and score points off turnovers to hurt opposing teams down the stretch. 

Tyrese Hunter with a SMOOTH finish for the Cyclones 🔥

Watch now on TBS ➡️ https://t.co/htu1U0GCtm#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/DaOvIirqJQ

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2022

Tyrese Hunter drains the triple to break the tie for the Cyclones 🎯#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/2aRu0rtRSb

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2022

The Cyclones extend the lead to double-digits 👀#MarchMadness | @CycloneMBB pic.twitter.com/zPsxuLBYFU

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2022

Freshman guard Tyrese Hunter and senior guard Izaiah Brockington were two of the Cyclones' most effective players against the Tigers, combining for 42 points, seven rebounds, four assists and eight steals.

With the way Iowa State played on Thursday, it's clear the team will be a threat to make a Cinderella run this year. The Cyclones are gritty, passionate and have a lot of tenacity that could help them go far in this tournament.

However, they'll need to have better performances than they did on Thursday down the stretch. While the defense was outstanding, the offense doesn't currently look like it can keep up with some of the better teams in this tournament. 

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LSU Offense Unable to Overcome First-Half Struggles

The LSU offense got out to an incredibly slow start, which ultimately cost them the game. The Tigers finished the first half with just 19 points, the lowest scoring total they had at halftime all season long. 

A lot of that was because of Iowa State's incredible defensive play, but the Tigers didn't help themselves in the second half either despite cutting into the Cyclones' lead. The team made just 17-of-46 shots from the floor and 4-of-19 from beyond the arc. In addition, their free-throw shooting was abysmal as they made just 16 of 23 shots from the charity stripe. 

However, it's also important to note the LSU program had somewhat of a tumultuous week leading up to their first-round matchup against Iowa State. The Tigers fired head coach Will Wade on Saturday after the school received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA.

That prompted Kevin Nickelberry to step in as the interim head coach, and Friday's game against the Cyclones was his first in charge of the Tigers. 

With sanctions expected to hit the LSU program based on the Notice of Allegations, the team has an uncertain future heading into the offseason, and changes will undoubtedly be on the way. 

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What's Next?

The Cyclones will move on to face either No. 3 seed Wisconsin or No. 14 seed Colgate in the second round.