LSU basketball coach Matt McMahon is trying to remain optimistic that hard-luck junior forward Daimion Collins can return at some point this season after dislocating his right shoulder in the Tigers’ loss to Pittsburgh Friday at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia.
“It was a scary event there,” McMahon said Wednesday. “As we saw, he clearly dislocated his shoulder. He’s having testing done this week. Don’t have a timeline on it right now.”
Collins, a redshirt junior forward (6-foot-9, 200), missed virtually all of last season with the same injury and had surgery on it. He was coming into his own this season and hoping to play his first full year at LSU after transferring from Kentucky before the 2023-24 season.
“We’re extremely hopeful that it will be something that can be rehabbed and get him back to the floor as quickly as possible because he’s been incredibly valuable,” McMahon said.
Collins was averaging 5.0 points with 4.2 rebounds in 16.9 minutes a game in five games off the bench. He is tied for the team lead in blocked shots with seven with starting forward Jalen Reed, who is averaging nearly 27 minutes a game.
The stat sheet does not illustrate the whole picture of Collins.
“Not only his shot blocking, but the shots that he changes,” McMahon said. “He’s terrific in ball screen coverage. He’s so fast and athletic. He puts a lot of pressure on the rim in our offensive attack. So we need him back on the floor. He’s had a great off-season. And we’ll remain optimistic as he goes through his testing this week.”
LSU MADE HISTORY
LSU won without Collins on Sunday in its second game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off as the Tigers outlasted Central Florida, 109-102, in a triple-overtime classic after trailing 38-18 with 2:12 to go in the first half. LSU trailed 40-25 at the half, but scored 84 points after half with an overtime school-record 39 points. The previous OT high was 33 points in a 113-100 win over Ohio State on Jan. 15, 2005, in double overtime.
It was the 96th overtime in LSU history, and the Tigers are 43-53 in OT all-time.
“I’ve never seen that before,” McMahon said of the 84 points after halftime. “Wild contest. Don’t remember being a part of one like that.”
LSU last played a triple over time game in the 2012-13 season when it beat Alabama, 97-94, in Baton Rouge. It was just LSU’s fourth win since 1967 when trailing by 20 or more.
“Just so impressed with our players’ resiliency and toughness to keep playing the game even when trailing by 20 and finding a way to get back,” McMahon said.
McMahon praised strength coach Mike Chatman as the Tigers kept performing well through fatigue. Guard Cam Carter played 52 minutes and scored 20 points with seven rebounds. Reed played 48 minutes and scored 21 points with 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Guard Jordan Sears logged 41 minutes and scored 25 points with 6-of-15 shooting from 3-point range and 9 rebounds. And guard Dji Bailey played 44 minutes and scored 14 points with six assists.
LSU (5-1) returns to action on Friday at home against Northwestern State (2-4) in a 7 p.m. game on SEC Network+ and ESPN+.
