LSU freshman Shawn Phillips transferring to Arizona State
Another player from the LSU basketball roster is headed to Arizona State, which is the final domino to drop after the Tigers saw seven players enter the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason.
Freshman center Shawn Phillips has committed to Arizona State and will join the roster for the 2023-24 season, he tells On3’s Joe Tipton.
Phillips will join former LSU guard Adam Miller, who already announced his commitment to the Sun Devils.
Phillips leaves Baton Rouge after one season
The 7-foot center, a former Top 150 prospect who was ranked by the On3 Industry Rankings as the No. 16 center in the country, was rarely used by LSU head coach Matt McMahon in his debut season.
Phillips played in 20 games, averaging 1.4 points and 2.2 rebounds. On the year, he averaged 7.4 minutes a game and made 10-of-22 field goal attempts.
LSU won only two SEC games all season, but the Tigers managed to get a third conference win in the opening round of the SEC Tournament thanks a strong outing from Phillips, bouncing Georgia from the event with a 72-67 win. Phillips scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds in the game.
He had played only 109 minutes all season before seeing 25 minutes in the win over Georgia.
“I’m really proud for him. He’s really grown as the season’s gone along,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said after the game. “He’s not a stiff 7-footer. He can move.
“I thought he was really good in our ball screen offense there in the first half especially. And he just gives you a presence around the rim. I thought he had some big time plays, second chance opportunities. We were all probably a little nervous, he’s at the free throw line there. But he stepped up and knocked them down.”
Matt McMahon rebuilding the LSU roster
When McMahon accepted the LSU job, he faced a point where the Tigers had zero scholarship players on roster.
Between convincing players to withdraw from the portal, adding others from the portal and welcoming transfers onto the roster, the Tigers worked through the 2022-23 season with a makeshift group.
In his second offseason at LSU, McMahon and the staff are shaking things up again. Here’s a look at who’s leaving and who’s joining the roster.
Still on the LSU roster:
G Tyrell Ward
G Trae Hannibal
G/F Mwani Wilkinson
F Jalen Reed
F Derek Fountain
Leaving the LSU roster:
F Corneilous Williams → Western Carolina
G Adam Miller → Arizona State
G Justice Hill → Loyola Marymount
G Justice Williams → Robert Morris
G Cam Hayes → East Carolina
C Kendal Coleman → Cal Baptist
C Shawn Phillips → Arizona State
Joining the LSU roster (portal):
G Jalen Cook: Tulane → LSU
G Carlos Stewart: Santa Clara → LSU
G/F Jordan Wright: Vanderbilt → LSU
C Will Baker: Nevada → LSU
Joining the LSU roster (high school):
PF Corey Chest (New Orleans, La): 4-star, No. 19 PF, No. 108 overall
SG Mike Williams (Baltimore, Md.): 3-star, No. 37 SG, No. 167 overall
