LSU Basketball Set to Host NBA Global Academy Star for Official Visit to Campus
Matt McMahon and the LSU Tigers are set to host one of the top players in the NBA Global Academy this week with coveted prospect, Marcus Vaughns, heading to Baton Rouge.
Vaughns, a 6-foot-7 wing in the 2026 Recruiting Class, will arrive in town on Monday evening to begin a multi-day stay with the Tigers.
He’s a player that will be mulling over options between taking the college route or beginning his professional career instead.
For the LSU Tigers, McMahon’s program has proven to be a threat in his recruitment if he chooses the college route and it’s clear their pitch will ramp up even more this week.
Vaughns will be in town from Monday night until Thursday on a Feb. 17-20 stay, according to multiple reports.
A Melbourne, Australia native, Vaughns was selected for the “Basketball Without Borders” event during All-Star Weekend festivities where he had the chance to soak in the scenes alongside the top players in the world.
When it comes to professional options, the NBL in Australia is a league that is on the table, but he will be weighing all options prior to making his official decision.
“The NBL will be something I consider, but I also want to take the college option seriously and let it play out,” Vaughns told 247Sports.
Matt McMahon and Co. are fresh off of signing a Top-25 Recruiting Class in the 2025 cycle with a trio of impactful players heading to Baton Rouge this offseason. All three are Top-100 players in America.
The 2025 Signees:
Mazi Mosley: Guard
The California native ranks as a consensus Top 100 prospect in the 2025 cycle and provides the Tigers with another building block for the future of the backcourt.
Mosley officially visited LSU in the middle of September where he took in the scenes of Baton Rouge for a multi-day stay, went to the LSU vs. UCLA football game and ultimately took the time to create a game plan with McMahon and Co.
Now, LSU adds the coveted guard who selects the Tigers over a myriad of Power Four programs including USC, Iowa and Michigan, among others.
Mosley is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard with impressive shot-making ability that will help space the floor for the Tigers, but is also a key piece in getting to the basket off the dribble.
Jalen Reece: Guard
The 6-0 point guard from Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, a four-star recruit, averaged 16 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 steals in his junior season. Oak Ridge won 27 games last season.
“Jalen Reece is a true floor general with excellent court vision and elite passing ability,” said Coach McMahon. “Creative and smart, he makes plays for his teammates while also being a proven scorer. Jalen will bring consistent 3-point shooting to Baton Rouge, and he will flourish in our up-tempo ball screen attack. I love his competitiveness, toughness, and intelligence on both ends of the court. He has winning DNA that translates on the national stage.”
Reece has proven to be a prolific ball handler and distributor, averaging eight assists this past year at Oak Ridge. In EYBL play he averaged 11.3 points and 4.4 assists a contest and led the Peach Jam event this past summer in steals.
The standout is ranked 49 by Rivals, 60 by ESPN and No. 67 in the 247sports composite listings.
Matt Gilhool: Power Forward
Gilhool, from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and William Penn Charter School, averaged 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks a game for the school as a junior.
“Matt Gilhool is a highly skilled and versatile forward. He is an athletic finisher at the rim and can score with either hand in the post,” said Coach McMahon. “Matt stretches the defense with his ability to shoot the three and space the court. He plays extremely hard and can really run the floor for his size. Matt will be very impactful in our rebounding and rim protection as he continues to get stronger.
The lefthander attended the 2024 Pangos All-America Camp where he was one of the top scorers in the event, averaging 17.3 points per game.
Gilhool, who is ranked the No. 2 player in the state of Pennsylvania, is ranked No. 65 in the Rivals Rankings and 73 in the On3sports.com composite rankings.
In his junior season, he shot 57 percent from the floor, 31 percent from distance and helped William Penn Charter to the championship of the Inter-AC in 2024, their first outright championship in 20 years. He was the Inter-AC MVP last season.
