BATON ROUGE, La. – Southeastern Conference play is upon the fifth-ranked LSU women’s basketball team as the Tigers prepare to open their 16-game league schedule with the Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday, Jan. 1, inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Conner Weigman led Houston to a hard-fought Texas Bowl win vs. LSU. USA TODAY provided updates from the Cougars' win:

Sophomore Michael Van Buren will start at quarterback for LSU against Houston in the Texas Bowl. He has started the last three games for LSU, throwing for 743 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions while leading the Tigers to a 2-1 record.

When LSU women's basketball took the court for its nonconference finale against Alabama State on Sunday, it was missing a key piece to its roster. Grace Knox was absent from the contest, which the No. 5 Tigers won 109-41. Head coach Kim Mulkey addressed Knox's status following the contest

LSU has never played in the Duke Mayo's Bowl, so the odds of it landing there are decent. The game gets a selection higher up on the bowl pecking order, but it could choose LSU as Tiger fans travel well. If LSU ends up the Duke's Mayo Bowl, it would face an ACC team.

The final seconds of the Texas Bowl formally ended LSU's frustrating 2025 season but also marked the official start of the Lane Kiffin era.

See the latest on LSU football transfer portal news on players entering their name and transferring into LSU here.

LSU football's Frank Wilson made it clear -- he was going to finish what he started at LSU. The Tigers came up just short in the Texas Bowl.