LSU forward Mwani Wilkinson enters the NCAA Transfer Portal

LSU senior forward Mwani Wilkinson has entered the transfer portal, On3 has learned. He has spent all four of his collegiate seasons with the Tigers.

This past season, Wilkinson made 27 appearances, including four starts. Wilkinson averaged 2.1 points and 1.0 rebounds per game while shooting 35.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.

In four seasons in Baton Rouge, Wilkinson played in 57 games. His career averages were 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 48.8% from the field and 38.3% from 3-point range. Last season, Wilkinson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Mwani Wilkinson played high school football at Bishop Gorman (NV), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 67 overall recruit in the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

“He was a guy who wanted to be at LSU through some challenging circumstances in the spring,” LSU head coach Matt McMahon said after Wilkinson suffered his injury last season. “I thought he had a terrific summer. Great fall. There was a time during the preseason where he injured his shooting shoulder.

“Wanted to battle through and I thought really competed to do so. It’s just reached a point where it’s counterproductive and it was time for him to go ahead and have the season-ending surgery and work toward getting back to 100%.”

LSU went 17-16 this season and posted a 9-9 record in conference play, finishing No. 8 in the SEC. Now, Wilkinson will look to take his talents elsewhere. He is the first LSU player to enter the transfer portal this offseason.

Matt McMahon reflects on LSU’s season-ending loss

LSU’s season came to an end on Tuesday after the team fell 84-77 to North Texas in the NIT. After the game, McMahon reflected on his team’s performance and season.

“Obviously we’re disappointed,” McMahon said. “We wanted to advance in the tournament and have an opportunity to keep playing, but I have a great appreciation for our players, their effort, their resiliency this season, for the improvements that have been made in our program and their ability to get us into the postseason.

“They got a really good basketball team. We knew they were a top-15 three point shooting team in the country and they shot the ball exceptionally well form three. They were the better team tonight. That’s the bottom line.”