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LSU was one of only 2 SEC teams to miss the NCAA Tournament this season, and the Tigers want to change that.
On Monday, the downtrodden program turned to a former LSU star to help make that change happen. The Tigers are bringing Ronald Dupree back to Baton Rouge to serve as general manager of the basketball program. The GM position was newly created, and the school feels that a guy who had great success as a player at LSU can do the same in this GM role.
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The 44-year-old Dupree played at LSU from 1999-2003 under former head coach John Brady and was a 3-time All-SEC selection. That included second-team honors during his junior and senior seasons in Baton Rouge. Dupree ended his brilliant collegiate career ranked 8th on LSU’s all-time scoring list and 6th in total rebounds.
Now, Dupree’s challenge will be much trickier. He won’t have the ball in his hands on the court and be in regular control of the situation, like he often was as an LSU player and during his 11-year pro career. Instead, Dupree will be part of the staff of head coach Matt McMahon, who is just 45-48 overall and 14-35 in the SEC during his shaky 3 seasons at LSU.
“Thanks to the athletic administration, Coach McMahon and staff, and supporters of the program for helping to facilitate this opportunity,” said Dupree. “I am super excited to help navigate this program into a new frontier of NIL and revenue sharing space of college basketball; to build an infrastructure of process driven decision making for competitive team building and performance that leads to sustained success for years to come. My family and I are truly blessed and honored to return back to Baton Rouge … our home and alma mater. Geaux Tigers! Forever LSU.”
Dupree is heading back to his college roots after serving since 2017 as a scout for the Milwaukee Bucks and since the 2023-24 season as the director of global scouting for the Bucks. Dupree — and the program he once starred for — is hoping that his experience in the game can be a difference-maker for a program in desperate need of a lift.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
