LSU Basketball Adds Another Guard from the Transfer Portal in Max Mackinnon of Australia
On Friday, LSU basketball coach Matt McMahon revealed that the Tigers have signed another guard for the 2025-26 season: Max Mackinnon from the University of Portland.
Standing at 6-6, Mackinnon, a rising senior, averaged 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists last season for the Pilots, starting 30 of 32 games. He converted 46.7% of his field goals (158 of 338), hit 37 three-pointers with a 40.7% success rate, and shot 88.7% from the free-throw line (110 of 124).
In late January, Mackinnon was honored as the Oscar Robertson Men’s Basketball National Player of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association following a standout performance against San Diego. He matched the University of Portland’s single-game scoring record by scoring 43 points in a 92-82 victory, marking the fifth-highest single-game performance by an Australian player in NCAA Division I history.
Mackinnon hails from Brisbane, Australia.
“We are thrilled to add Max Mackinnon’s shooting, skill, and experience to our team,” Coach McMahon commented. “At 6-6, he can space the floor with his three-point shooting and is a skilled playmaker with his passing. We look forward to his arrival on campus this summer.”
Mackinnon previously played two seasons at Elon University in 2022-23 and 2023-24. During the 2023-24 season, he played and started all 32 games, averaging 12.1 points and leading the team with 4.8 rebounds. He also tallied 84 assists and shot 45.0% from the field, recording 22 double-digit scoring games.
As a freshman, Mackinnon made 27 starts in 31 games and was named the 2023 CAA Rookie of the Year. He averaged 11.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 75 assists, and 34 steals.
Over his three years in college basketball, Mackinnon has appeared in 95 games, starting 89, with a career average of 12.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. He has averaged 28.2 minutes per game over his career.
Before enrolling at Elon, Mackinnon began his professional career in Australia’s National Basketball League at 17. He won two consecutive Gold Medals with the U20 Australian National Team and earned All-Star 5 honors at the Australian National Championship. His early accomplishments secured him a scholarship to the Centre of Excellence and the NBA Global Academy.
Mackinnon joins fellow transfer portal acquisitions Michael Nwoko (Mississippi State), Dedan Thomas Jr. (UNLV), and Rashad King (Northeastern).
