# 2018–19 LSU Tigers basketball team

The 2018–19 LSU Tigers basketball team represented Louisiana State University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Will Wade, in his second season at LSU. Tony Benford also served as interim head coach for the last regular season game, 2019 SEC men's basketball tournament and 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. They played their home games at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a member of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 28-7, 16-2 in SEC Play to finish as SEC regular season champions.. They lost in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament to Florida. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Yale and Maryland to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to Michigan State.

## Previous season

The Tigers finished the 2017–18 season 18–15, 8–10 in SEC play to finish in a tie for ninth place. They lost in the second round of the SEC tournament to Mississippi State. The Tigers received an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament where they defeated Louisiana before losing in to Utah in the second round.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Brandon Sampson | 0 | G | 6'5" | 184 | Junior | Baton Rouge, LA | Declared for the 2018 NBA draft |
| Duop Reath | 1 | F | 6'11" | 244 | Senior | Perth, Australia | Graduated |
| Brandon Rachal | 2 | G | 6'5" | 215 | Freshman | Natchitoches, LA | Transferred to Pearl River CC |
| Galen Alexander | 10 | F | 6'6" | 210 | Freshman | Breaux Bridge, LA | Dismissed from the team |
| Jeremy Combs | 13 | F | 6'7" | 215 | Senior | Dallas, TX | Graduated |
| Randy Onwausor | 14 | G | 6'3" | 210 | RS Senior | Inglewood, CA | Graduated |
| Reed Vial | 15 | G | 6'3" | 190 | Junior | Baton Rouge, LA | Walk-on; left the team for personal reasons |
| Aaron Epps | 21 | F | 6'10" | 214 | Senior | Ball, LA | Graduated |
| Mayan Kiir | 35 | F | 6'9" | 217 | Sophomore | Bradenton, FL | Dismissed from the team |
| Wayde Sims | 44 | F | 6'6" | 217 | Sophomore | Baton Rouge, LA | Deceased |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Marlon Taylor | 14 | F | 6'6" | | Junior | Mount Vernon, NY | Panola College |
| Danya Kingsby | 20 | G | 6'1" | 165 | Junior | Milwaukee, WI | College of Southern Idaho |
| Courtese Cooper | 21 | F | 6'9" | 205 | Sophomore | Elgin, IL | Triton College |

### 2018 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Naz Reid #3 PF | Asbury Park, NJ | Roselle Catholic High School | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Sep 12, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Emmitt Williams #7 PF | Lehigh Acres, FL | Oak Ridge High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Jan 26, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Javonte Smart #9 PG | Baton Rouge, LA | Scotlandville Magnet High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jun 30, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Darius Days #14 PF | Williston, FL | The Rock School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | Oct 20, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Aundre Hyatt #51 PF | Chalottesville, VA | The Miller School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | Aug 6, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "LSU 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017. "2018 LSU Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017. ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2018* 7:30 pm, SECN+ | No. 23 | Southeastern Louisiana | W 93–64 | 1–0 | 17 – Reid | 10 – Williams | 2 – Tied | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (10,513) Baton Rouge, LA |
| November 9, 2018* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 23 | UNC Greensboro | W 97–91 | 2–0 | 29 – Reid | 7 – Reid | 10 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (8,613) Baton Rouge, LA |
| November 13, 2018* 6:00 pm, SECN | No. 22 | Memphis AdvoCare Invitational non-bracket game | W 85–76 | 3–0 | 19 – Mays | 10 – Williams | 8 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,295) Baton Rouge, LA |
| November 16, 2018* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 22 | Louisiana Tech | W 74–67 | 4–0 | 16 – Smart | 7 – Williams | 5 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,557) Baton Rouge, LA |
| November 22, 2018* 6:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 19 | vs. College of Charleston AdvoCare Invitational quarterfinals | W 67–55 | 5–0 | 14 – Williams | 9 – Williams | 11 – Waters | HP Field House (N/A) Orlando, FL |
| November 23, 2018* 4:30 pm, ESPN2 | No. 19 | vs. No. 14 Florida State AdvoCare Invitational semifinals | L 76–79 $^{OT}$ | 5–1 | 19 – Mays | 6 – Days | 8 – Smart | HP Field House (N/A) Orlando, FL |
| November 25, 2018* 3:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 19 | vs. Oklahoma State AdvoCare Invitational 3rd place game | L 77–90 | 5–2 | 20 – Mays | 7 – Bigby-Williams | 5 – Waters | HP Field House (N/A) Orlando, FL |
| December 1, 2018* 4:00 pm, SECN+ | | Grambling State | W 78–57 | 6–2 | 15 – Waters | 9 – Days | 5 – Tied | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (8,474) Baton Rouge, LA |
| December 9, 2018* 1:00 pm, SECN | | Incarnate Word | W 91–50 | 7–2 | 16 – Tied | 10 – Bigby-Williams | 6 – Mays | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,098) Baton Rouge, LA |
| December 12, 2018* 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at No. 24 Houston | L 76–82 | 7–3 | 18 – Smart | 6 – Williams | 2 – Tied | Fertitta Center (7,039) Houston, TX |
| December 15, 2018* 10:00 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Saint Mary's Neon Hoops Showcase | W 78–74 | 8–3 | 18 – Waters | 6 – Williams | 3 – Tied | T-Mobile Arena (5,107) Paradise, NV |
| December 21, 2018* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | No. 24 Furman | W 75–57 | 9–3 | 20 – Waters | 10 – Tied | 7 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,765) Baton Rouge, LA |
| December 28, 2018* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | Louisiana–Monroe | W 81–69 | 10–3 | 19 – Reid | 12 – Reid | 10 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (10,028) Baton Rouge, LA |
| SEC regular season |||||||||
| January 8, 2019 8:00 pm, SECN | | Alabama | W 88–79 | 11–3 (1–0) | 19 – Waters | 13 – Bigby-Williams | 7 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,718) Baton Rouge, LA |
| January 12, 2019 5:00 pm, SECN | | at Arkansas | W 94–88 $^{OT}$ | 12–3 (2–0) | 27 – Reid | 10 – Williams | 11 – Waters | Bud Walton Arena (17,361) Fayetteville, AR |
| January 15, 2019 8:00 pm, SECN | | at No. 18 Ole Miss | W 83–69 | 13–3 (3–0) | 20 – Waters | 10 – Bigby-Williams | 9 – Waters | The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,500) Oxford, MS |
| January 19, 2019 5:00 pm, SECN | | South Carolina | W 89–67 | 14–3 (4–0) | 15 – Tied | 13 – Williams | 6 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (11,607) Baton Rouge, LA |
| January 23, 2019 6:00 pm, SECN | No. 25 | Georgia | W 92–82 | 15–3 (5–0) | 26 – Waters | 7 – Reid | 4 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,416) Baton Rouge, LA |
| January 26, 2019 5:00 pm, SECN | No. 25 | at Missouri | W 86–80 $^{OT}$ | 16–3 (6–0) | 24 – Mays | 8 – Reid | 9 – Waters | Mizzou Arena (11,513) Columbia, MO |
| January 30, 2019 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 19 | at Texas A&M | W 72–57 | 17–3 (7–0) | 36 – Waters | 11 – Bigby-Williams | 4 – Mays | Reed Arena (6,554) College Station, TX |
| February 2, 2019 5:00 pm, SECN | No. 19 | Arkansas | L 89–90 | 17–4 (7–1) | 19 – Reid | 10 – Reid | 6 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,311) Baton Rouge, LA |
| February 6, 2019 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 21 | at Mississippi State | W 92–88 $^{OT}$ | 18–4 (8–1) | 29 – Reid | 13 – Bigby-Williams | 5 – Waters | Humphrey Coliseum (7,456) Starkville, MS |
| February 9, 2019 1:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 21 | Auburn | W 83–78 | 19–4 (9–1) | 20 – Mays | 11 – Bigby-Williams | 10 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (12,004) Baton Rouge, LA |
| February 12, 2019 6:00 pm, ESPN | No. 19 | at No. 5 Kentucky | W 73–71 | 20–4 (10–1) | 15 – Waters | 7 – Reid | 5 – Tied | Rupp Arena (23,490) Lexington, KY |
| February 16, 2019 5:00 pm, SECN | No. 19 | at Georgia | W 83–79 | 21–4 (11–1) | 20 – Waters | 8 – Bigby-Williams | 5 – Waters | Stegeman Coliseum (10,298) Athens, GA |
| February 20, 2019 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 13 | Florida | L 77–82 $^{OT}$ | 21–5 (11–2) | 18 – Mays | 15 – Reid | 4 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (10,976) Baton Rouge, LA |
| February 23, 2019 11:00 am, ESPN | No. 13 | No. 5 Tennessee | W 82–80 $^{OT}$ | 22–5 (12–2) | 29 – Smart | 10 – Bigby-Williams | 5 – Smart | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,581) Baton Rouge, LA |
| February 26, 2019 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 13 | Texas A&M | W 66–55 | 23–5 (13–2) | 18 – Reid | 11 – Tied | 5 – Mays | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,614) Baton Rouge, LA |
| March 2, 2019 11:00 am, ESPN | No. 13 | at Alabama | W 74–69 | 24–5 (14–2) | 20 – Mays | 13 – Reid | 4 – Smart | Coleman Coliseum (11,570) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| March 6, 2019 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 10 | at Florida | W 79–78 $^{OT}$ | 25–5 (15–2) | 19 – Waters | 14 – Williams | 6 – Waters | Exactech Arena (9,550) Gainesville, FL |
| March 9, 2019 7:30 pm, SECN | No. 10 | Vanderbilt | W 80–59 | 26–5 (16–2) | 15 – Days | 11 – Bigby-Williams | 8 – Waters | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (13,546) Baton Rouge, LA |
| SEC Tournament |||||||||
| March 15, 2019 12:00 pm, ESPN | (1) No. 9 | vs. (8) Florida Quarterfinals | L 73–76 | 26–6 | 26 – Reid | 14 – Reid | 7 – Waters | Bridgestone Arena (16,490) Nashville, TN |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 21, 2019* 11:40 am, truTV | (3 E) No. 12 | vs. (14 E) Yale First Round | W 79–74 | 27–6 | 19 – Mays | 10 – Reid | 7 – Waters | VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (12,429) Jacksonville, FL |
| March 24, 2019* 11:10 am, CBS | (3 E) No. 12 | vs. (6 E) Maryland Second Round | W 69–67 | 28–6 | 16 – Mays | 8 – Bigby-Williams | 5 – Waters | VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (14,250) Jacksonville, FL |
| March 29, 2019* 6:09 pm, CBS | (3 E) No. 12 | vs. (2 E) No. 5 Michigan State Sweet Sixteen | L 63–80 | 28–7 | 23 – Waters | 9 – Reid | 9 – Tied | Capital One Arena (20,728) Washington, D.C. |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | 23 | 22 | 19 | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | 25 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 12 | Not released |
| Coaches | RV | RV^ | 21 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | 19 | 22 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings ^Coaches did not release a Week 2 poll.