The LSU basketball program just canāt seem to catch a break of late. After battling the NCAA for immediate eligibility during the 2024 college basketball season, Tiger transfer portal point guard Jalen Cook is now suspended from the team, according to head coach Matt McMahon.
LSU transfer portal point guard is currently suspended from the team
After a bit of a rollercoaster college basketball career up to this point, LSU transfer portal point guard Jalen Cook is now in danger of missing out on the 2024 postseason after reportedly being suspended from the team.
Prior to this season, Cook spent his freshman year with the purple and gold before transferring to Tulane for the following two seasons. Heād make a return to Baton Rouge for his senior year, and after battling the NCAA for his eligibility to compete, he made his season debut on December 16 vs. Texas.
When discussing his suspension from the team, head coach Matt McMahon explained that it came due to the guardās āfailing to meet the standards of the program.ā Notably, Cook did not travel with the team on Saturday, March 2, as they went to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt.
Through 13 appearances this season, the transfer portal point guard is averaging 15.6 points, 2.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals on 27.1 minutes per game. Additionally, out of his 13 games, heās started at one of the two guard positions nine times.
Along with the news on Jalen Cook, coach McMahon also shared that he doesnāt expect a return from guard Carlos Stewart or forward Daimion Collins this season as they continue to work through injuries.
How the suspension impacts the Tigers in March
While itās never ideal to lose out on starting-caliber depth and experience, itās important to note that the Tigers have been without the transfer portal point guard since February 13, when he was ruled out with an injury.
Furthermore, since making his last appearance in an 82-80 loss at Florida, the program has gone on quite the stretch, winning four out of their five, including victories over No. 17 South Carolina and No. 15 Kentucky.
While Jalen Cook hasnāt exactly been ruled out for the season, it will be interesting to keep an eye on his status as postseason rapidly approaches. The purple and gold have two more regular season games, as theyāll face Arkansas and Missouri before looking ahead to the SEC Tournament beginning on Thursday, March 14.
As long as the former Tulane Green Wave remains on the sidelines, itās safe to assume weāll continue to see a heavy dose of freshman Mike Williams III, senior Trae Hannibal and senior Jordan Wright. In their last outing vs. Vanderbilt, the trio accounted for 26 points, eight assists and 15 rebounds in what turned out to be yet another high-quality win for the Tigers.
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