How Trey'Dez Green earned minutes for Matt McMahon, LSU MBB

Trey’Dez Green had the highlight of the game for LSU in its loss on Saturday against No. 4 Alabama with his awesome block and ensuing fastbreak dunk. He ended the game playing nine minutes with those two as his only points to go with three rebounds in his first appearance for the LSU basketball team.

The five-star freshman just finished up his first season on the football field and although he loves being on the hardwood, LSU head coach Matt McMahon has made it clear that football is his future and the priority for Green. Still, getting another excellent athlete added to your roster in the middle of SEC play is a welcome sight for the Tigers, who are now 1-5 in conference play.

“I have such respect for what he’s doing. He wasn’t in a single meeting or practice until a week after the bowl game,” McMahon said. “He’s been a very quick learner. He wants to be good. He brings terrific energy to practice. You saw his ability on the defensive to guard multiple positions on Saturday. You saw he had three rebounds in limited time. Then offensively, he can help us on the offensive glass. He didn’t finish, but he had a nice drive to the basket, then he had the highlight play with the block that led to the dunk.

Dual Sport Athlete 🤝

Trey’Dez Green has checked into the game for your Fighting Tigers@TreyDez_Green pic.twitter.com/5dReygvQE3

— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) January 26, 2025

McMahon did not give a clear answer if Green would stay in the rotation moving forward or if it was a one-time premier for the football star, but LSU continues to look for answers through the first half of the year to get on track – especially with injuries to Vyctorious Miller and Jalen Reed.

How did we get here, though? Green getting on the court against a top five team on the road in the first half just three weeks after joining the program? First, it’s fair to say it speaks to the desperation of this team right now, but more importantly, it shows just how incredible of an athlete Green is.

He is a hooper.

“After the bowl game, he was off for a week to rest his body and his mind,” McMahon said, laying out his timeline. “It started with individual work, then it went to him moving to the scout team and now in live practice over the last week and a half. It’s a matter of trying to fast track learning. His chemistry with the team is terrific. You wouldn’t know he hadn’t been with us for the first eight months. Immediately, players respect how hard he works. Now it’s about learning. You have different ball screen coverages, different plays, zone offense, man offense, there are so many scenarios getting thrown at him in short order and with continued experience he’ll keep getting better and better.”

At his core, Green was a basketball player who picked up football for the first time in high school and immediately excelled. The hope for him is to follow in the path of several great tight ends who have also been excellent on the hardwood. He’ll be with the team for about two months before he returns to football for spring practices and the ensuing summer and fall camps. 

Brian Kelly and Matt McMahon are on the same page and allowing Green to not only enjoy his freshman year but also potentially impact both programs is a win-win for everyone involved. 

If nothing else, it further adds to Green’s excitement for his sophomore year at LSU in 2025.

“I flipped it on him – imagine if he went to the football field with no spring practice, no summer workouts, no fall camp, missed the first six or seven games of the year, no position meetings, then three days later be on the road playing Alabama,” McMahon said. “ It’s really impressive what he’s been able to do in a short time.”