# 2017–18 LSU Tigers basketball team

The 2017–18 LSU Tigers basketball team represented Louisiana State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Will Wade, in his first season at LSU. 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 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 to Utah in the second round.

## Previous season

The Tigers finished the 2016–17 season 10–21, 2–16 in SEC play to finish in a tie for 13th place. They lost in the First Round of the SEC tournament to Mississippi State.
On March 10, head coach Johnny Jones was fired. He finished at LSU with a five-year record of 90–72. On March 20, LSU hired VCU head coach Will Wade as their next head coach.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Antonio Blakeney | 2 | G | 6'4" | 197 | Sophomore | Sarasota, FL | Declared for 2017 NBA draft |
| Elbert Robinson III | 3 | C | 7'1" | 290 | Junior | Garland, TX | Left the team for personal reasons |
| Kieran Hayward | 5 | G | 6'4" | 195 | Freshman | Sydney, Australia | Transferred to Massachusetts |
| Branden Jenkins | 10 | G | 6'4" | 180 | Junior | Maywood, IL | Graduate transferred to Texas Wesleyan |
| Jalyn Patterson | 11 | G | 6'1" | 191 | Junior | Atlanta, GA | Left the team for personal reasons |
| Brian Bridgewater | 20 | F | 6'5" | 282 | Senior | Baton Rouge, LA | Graduated |
| Craig Victor II | 32 | F | 6'9" | 235 | Junior | New Orleans, LA | Dismissed from the team due to violation of team rules/2017 NBA draft |
| Brandon Eddlestone | 45 | F | 6'8" | 248 | Senior | Slidell, LA | Walk-on; graduated |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Daryl Edwards | 5 | G | 6'4" | 170 | Junior | Fresno, CA | Junior college transferred to Northwest Florida State College |
| Kavell Bigby-Williams | 11 | F | 6'11" | 230 | Senior | London, England | Transferred from Oregon. Under NCAA transfer rules, Bigby-Williams will have to sit out for the 2017–18 season. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. |
| Jeremy Combs | 13 | F | 6'7" | 215 | Senior | Dallas, TX | Transferred from North Texas. Will eligible to play since Combs graduated from North Texas. |
| Randy Onwausor | 14 | G | 6'3" | 210 | RS Senior | Inglewood, CA | Transferred from Southern Utah. Will eligible to play since Onwausor graduated from Southern Utah. |

### 2017 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Tremont Waters #8 PG | New Haven, CT | Notre Dame High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Jun 5, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Galen Alexander SF | Lafayette, LA | Lafayette Christian Academy | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jul 17, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Mayan Kiir #20 PF | Bradenton, FL | Victory Rock Prep | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Apr 11, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Brandon Rachal #29 SF | Natchitoches, LA | Natchitoches Central High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Oct 12, 2016 |
| 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 2017 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017. "2017 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. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017. ||||||

### 2018 Recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Javonte Smart 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: |||||||
| Naz Reid PF | Asbury Park, NJ | Roselle Catholic High School | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Sep 12, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Darius Days 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: |||||||
| Emmitt Williams PF | Lehigh Acres, FL | Oak Ridge High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Jan 26, 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 |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| Oct 31, 2017* 7:30 pm | | at Tulane Hurricane relief charity game | L 74–84 | – | 21 – Reath | 13 – Reath | 3 – Sims | Devlin Fieldhouse (1,503) New Orleans, LA |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| Nov 10, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | Alcorn State | W 99–59 | 1–0 | 27 – Waters | 6 – Rachal | 6 – Waters | Maravich Center (11,856) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Nov 16, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | Samford | W 105–86 | 2–0 | 20 – Mays, Sampson | 8 – Sampson | 8 – Waters | Maravich Center (7,731) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Nov 20, 2017* 10:30 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Michigan Maui Invitational quarterfinals | W 77–75 | 3–0 | 21 – Waters | 5 – Mays, Reath | 4 – Rachal, Waters | Lahaina Civic Center (N/A) Maui, HI |
| Nov 21, 2017* 9:30 pm, ESPN | | vs. No. 13 Notre Dame Maui Invitational semifinals | L 53–92 | 3–1 | 14 – Reath | 6 – Reath | 4 – Onwuasor | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| Nov 22, 2017* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | | vs. Marquette Maui Invitational 3rd place game | L 84–94 | 3–2 | 39 – Waters | 7 – Sims | 4 – Waters | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Maui, HI |
| Nov 29, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | UT Martin | W 84–60 | 4–2 | 18 – Mays | 9 – Reath | 10 – Waters | Maravich Center (7,396) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Dec 10, 2017* 4:00 pm, SECN+ | | UNC Wilmington | W 97–84 | 5–2 | 30 – Reath | 9 – Waters | 10 – Waters | Maravich Center (7,812) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Dec 13, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN | | Houston | W 80–77 | 6–2 | 26 – Epps | 16 – Epps | 6 – Waters | Maravich Center (8,449) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Dec 16, 2017* 12:00 pm, SECN | | Stephen F. Austin | L 82–83 | 6–3 | 19 – Waters | 10 – Epps | 6 – Mays | Maravich Center (9,695) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Dec 19, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | Sam Houston State | W 80–58 | 7–3 | 13 – Mays, Onwuasor | 10 – Sims | 5 – Mays | Maravich Center (8,151) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Dec 22, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | | North Florida | W 104–52 | 8–3 | 15 – Reath, Waters | 9 – Epps | 10 – Waters | Maravich Center (8,212) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Dec 28, 2017* 8:00 pm, CBSSN | | at Memphis | W 71–61 | 9–3 | 18 – Waters | 7 – Sims | 8 – Waters | FedEx Forum (9,468) Memphis, TN |
| SEC regular season |||||||||
| Jan 3, 2018 7:30 pm, SECN | | No. 17 Kentucky | L 71–74 | 9–4 (0–1) | 24 – Reath | 11 – Waters | 4 – Sampson | Maravich Center (11,952) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Jan 6, 2018 1:05 pm, SECN | | at No. 11 Texas A&M | W 69–68 | 10–4 (1–1) | 21 – Waters | 10 – Reath | 6 – Mays | Reed Arena (10,845) College Station, TX |
| Jan 10, 2018 8:00 pm, SECN | | at Arkansas | W 75–54 | 11–4 (2–1) | 13 – Epps | 11 – Epps | 8 – Waters | Bud Walton Arena (15,199) Fayetteville, AR |
| Jan 13, 2018 7:30 pm, SECN | | Alabama | L 66–74 | 11–5 (2–2) | 19 – Waters | 4 – Epps, Rachal, Onwuasor | 5 – Waters | Maravich Center (13,600) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Jan 16, 2018 6:00 pm, ESPNU | | Georgia | L 60–61 | 11–6 (2–3) | 17 – Sampson | 7 – Mays | 5 – Waters | Maravich Center (13,215) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Jan 20, 2018 12:00 pm, SECN | | at Vanderbilt | L 71–77 | 11–7 (2–4) | 31 – Reath | 13 – Reath | 4 – Waters | Memorial Gymnasium (8,760) Nashville, TN |
| Jan 23, 2018 5:30 pm, ESPNU | | Texas A&M | W 77–65 | 12–7 (3–4) | 21 – Reath | 8 – Reath | 9 – Waters | Maravich Center (8,528) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Jan 27, 2018 5:00 pm, SECN | | at No. 19 Auburn | L 70–95 | 12–8 (3–5) | 18 – Reath | 4 – Mays | 5 – Mays | Auburn Arena (9,121) Auburn, AL |
| Jan 31, 2018 5:30 pm, SECN | | at No. 18 Tennessee | L 61–84 | 12–9 (3–6) | 21 – Reath | 7 – Epps | 3 – Onwuasor, Waters | Thompson–Boling Arena (13,425) Knoxville, TN |
| Feb 3, 2018 2:30 pm, SECN | | Arkansas | W 94–86 | 13–9 (4–6) | 27 – Waters | 6 – Sims | 11 – Waters | Maravich Center (9,272) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Feb 7, 2018 5:30 pm, SECN | | at Florida | L 64–73 | 13–10 (4–7) | 17 – Sampson | 7 – Waters | 6 – Waters | O'Connell Center (9,833) Gainesville, FL |
| Feb 10, 2018 3:00 pm, ESPNU | | Ole Miss | W 82–66 | 14–10 (5–7) | 26 – Reath | 9 – Epps | 8 – Waters | Maravich Center (8,545) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Feb 13, 2018 8:000 pm, ESPNU | | at Alabama | L 65–80 | 14–11 (5–8) | 21 – Edwards | 9 – Mays | 4 – Waters | Coleman Coliseum (11,154) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| Feb 17, 2018 1:00 pm, ESPN2 | | Missouri | W 64–63 | 15–11 (6–8) | 21 – Waters | 9 – Epps | 4 – Mays, Waters | Maravich Center (9,635) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Feb 20, 2018 8:00 pm, SECN | | Vanderbilt | W 88–78 | 16–11 (7–8) | 28 – Waters | 8 – Epps | 9 – Waters | Maravich Center (7,517) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Feb 24, 2018 1:00 pm, ESPNU | | at Georgia | L 82–93 | 16–12 (7–9) | 25 – Waters | 6 – Sampson | 3 – Waters | Stegeman Coliseum (9,518) Athens, GA |
| Feb 28, 2018 5:30 pm, SECN | | at South Carolina | L 74–83 $^{OT}$ | 16–13 (7–10) | 19 – Waters | 13 – Rachal | 6 – Mays | Colonial Life Arena (11,269) Columbia, SC |
| Mar 3, 2018 12:00 pm, SECN | | Mississippi State | W 78–57 | 17–13 (8–10) | 16 – Epps, Sampson | 8 – Reath | 10 – Waters | Maravich Center (9,067) Baton Rouge, LA |
| SEC Tournament |||||||||
| Mar 8, 2018 6:00 pm, SECN | (10) | vs. (7) Mississippi State Second Round | L 77–80 | 17–14 | 28 – Waters | 9 – Rachal | 6 – Waters | Scottrade Center (11,752) St. Louis, MO |
| NIT |||||||||
| Mar 14, 2018* 6:00 pm, ESPN3 | (3) | (6) Louisiana First Round – Saint Mary's Bracket | W 84–76 | 18–14 | 26 – Reath | 11 – Reath | 7 – Waters | Maravich Center (6,846) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Mar 19, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPNU | (3) | at (2) Utah Second Round – Saint Mary's Bracket | L 71–95 | 18–15 | 19 – Waters | 6 – Epps | 8 – Waters | Jon M. Huntsman Center (5,528) Salt Lake City, UT |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
Source