Being from “The Boot” makes you different. Playing for “The Boot” can make you an icon.

It’s no secret that kids from Louisiana dream of wearing the purple and gold. It’s also no secret that keeping them in the state has been a priority for LSU head coaches, and men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon is no exception.

When McMahon was hired in the spring of 2022, he was tasked with building a roster from the ground up. He did this by bringing multiple players from his prior school, Murray State, as well as relying on a group of freshmen and only a few previous LSU players.

The result was a season that did not meet anyone’s standards, especially McMahon’s. But he isn’t focused on the past, rather only on improving daily and moving his program forward, returning it to the LSU standard.

“We just want to get better. We want to get better and take these talented players we’ve been able to bring in and build them into a team and max that opportunity out,” said McMahon. “For me, I always say, ‘this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be at a place like LSU.’ I don’t spend any time living in the past of the first year here. I think we all know the circumstances and now is the opportunity to move the program forward.”

Going into Year 2, the philosophy was simple: “Recruit the Boot.” It started with signing Corey Chest, the No. 1 player in the state, to LSU’s 2023 class.

From there, the Tigers utilized the transfer portal to bring back even more Louisiana talent. In addition to Chest, McMahon added four transfer players from Louisiana to his roster.

There’s Hunter Dean, the 6-10 graduate student who is originally from Mandeville, La., and has spent the last three seasons at George Washington.

Jalen Cook, who started his career at LSU but transferred to Tulane after his freshman year, is back in the purple and gold. Cook was a standout at Walker (La.) High School and averaged 19.9 points per game and 4.9 assists per game last year for the Green Wave. He was also named First-team All-AAC in 2022 and 2023.

Finally, Jordan Wright and Carlos Stewart are back in “The Boot” as well. Sure to be fan favorites, Wright and Stewart both played down the road at Dunham High School, just a short drive from the LSU campus.

Wright, a graduate student who has spent the last four years at Vanderbilt, was the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2022. Not only does he bring an immediate impact on offense, but also has a veteran locker room presence that is unmatched.

Stewart has played the last two seasons at Santa Clara. A bona fide scorer who is sure to help the Tigers on offense, he was named First-Team All-WCC in 2023 and will look to instantly take command on the floor of the PMAC.

McMahon wanted to use the strategy already implemented by other coaches on campus. By bringing back Louisiana athletes, he was also bringing back the pride of being able to not only represent LSU, but also represent the state as a whole.

“I think it was important for us to use the same philosophy as some of the other successful coaches on campus who have used the portal and used it to get some Louisiana talent back home,” McMahon said.

“I think in this era of sports where it has been described as players just renting the jersey, you are looking for people who are going to take a lot of ownership of that jersey, and I think one of the many things that make LSU such a special place is the pride that your in-state players have not only in representing LSU, but the entire state of Louisiana when they put those three letters across their chests.”

For fans interested in getting an early look at the Tigers, the team will host an exhibition game on Monday, October 30, at 7 p.m. in the PMAC against Louisiana Christian. It is open to the public and attendance is free. Fans are encouraged to attend in their best Halloween costumes.

The Tigers will then officially open their 2023-24 campaign on Monday, November 6, against Mississippi Valley State at 7 p.m. in the PMAC.

Tickets for the 2023-24 season are available online at LSUTix.net.