Coach Matt McMahon called the NCAA Tournament the “North Star” for LSU basketball a couple of times this offseason.

Every roster decision and new staff hire — such as Ronald Dupree as the program’s first general manager — has been motivated by the team’s desire to return to The Big Dance for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

That mission starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday when LSU faces Tarleton State at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

In charge of leading the Tigers for a fourth year is McMahon, who fielded a team that went 14-18 overall and 3-15 in the Southeastern Conference last year.

The Advocate spoke to 11-year ESPN national college basketball writer Jeff Borzello about McMahon's job security entering the 2025-26 season. This interview happened before LSU fired football

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