FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
**BATON ROUGE, La.** — In a stunning recruiting coup that will reverberate through the heart of the SEC, the LSU Tigers have executed a commitment flip of seismic, border-war significance. **Forward King “The Crown” Schoks**, the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the nation, announced he has flipped his commitment to the LSU Tigers on Saturday, choosing head coach Matt McMahon and LSU over the Texas Longhorns, to whom he had been publicly pledged for five months.
The decision, revealed at a ceremony in New Orleans’s historic gym where he grew up, is a program-altering, era-defining triumph for Coach McMahon. It delivers a generational, homegrown talent to Baton Rouge by wresting him directly from a key SEC rival and the resources of the state of Texas, signaling a monumental shift in the conference’s recruiting hierarchy and a massive win for the LSU rebuild.
**“My Kingdom is Louisiana.”**
In a defiant and passionate announcement, the New Orleans native addressed his monumental reversal. “This decision is about roots and royalty,” Schoks declared, his voice echoing with conviction. “I have respect for Coach Terry and the University of Texas. But my heart, my family, and my crown belong here in Louisiana. The vision Coach McMahon has for making LSU the pride of the SEC, the chance to build a legacy in my home state… that’s a throne I will defend. I’m a Tiger.”
Schoks, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound phenom, is a versatile force. His blend of guard-like skills, explosive athleticism, and defensive tenacity has drawn comparisons to a young **Zion Williamson** for his power and a **Brandon Ingram** for his scoring finesse. His flip instantly transforms LSU from a promising rebuild into a preseason Top-15 threat and robs Texas of the cornerstone of their highly-touted recruiting class.
**The Flip: How LSU Won the Bayou Battle**
Sources indicate the flip was the result of a relentless, community-driven campaign by McMahon and his staff, leveraging deep Louisiana pride against the lure of an out-of-state giant.
1. **The “Reclaim The Boot” Crusade:** McMahon’s entire pitch was a call to state pride and a mission to end the “brain drain” of elite Louisiana talent to other SEC schools. He framed Schoks as the king who would reclaim Louisiana’s basketball throne and make LSU the undeniable destination for in-state stars, a powerful emotional pull that resonated more than joining Texas’s established brand.
2. **The “Be The Face of The Renaissance” Proposition:** At LSU, Schoks was promised to be the immediate, undisputed face of the program’s return to national prominence. At Texas, he would have been a star among stars. The opportunity for singular ownership of a rebuild in his home state, with the full support of the LSU NIL collective **Bayou Traditions**, presented a unique legacy and platform opportunity.
3. **Matt McMahon’s Persistent Relationship:** Despite the early commitment to Texas, McMahon and his staff maintained a consistent, genuine relationship with Schoks’s inner circle. They sold a long-term vision of development within a system that values his versatility, contrasting it with Texas’s more structured approach under Rodney Terry.
**Reaction: Jubilation on the Bayou, Stunned Silence in Austin**
The flip triggered immediate, raucous celebration across Louisiana and sent shockwaves through the conference.
* **LSU Head Coach Matt McMahon:** “We’re fired up to welcome King and his family to LSU. He’s a special talent who believes in what we are building here in Baton Rouge. This is a great day for our program and our state.”
* **Texas Head Coach Rodney Terry:** “We wish King the best at LSU.” (Statement via Texas spokesperson).
* **247Sports National Analyst Travis Branham:** “This is the flip that legitimizes the Matt McMahon era at LSU. To pull the No. 1 player in America away from a resource-rich peer like Texas, and to keep him home, is a program-defining victory. It announces LSU as a major player in the SEC and proves McMahon can win the biggest battles.”
**The “Schoks Effect”: A Sleeping Giant Awakened**
King Schoks’s flip does more than give LSU the top player in the nation; it is the ultimate proof-of-concept for McMahon’s rebuilding plan. It delivers a transformative talent, ensures other elite Louisiana prospects will see LSU as a viable destination, and strikes a direct, humbling blow at a conference rival’s ambitions.
The decision signals that LSU, with its unique culture and localized NIL power, is a sleeping giant no more. For the Tigers, the message is now thunderously clear: the King of college basketball recruiting has decided his kingdom is in Baton Rouge, and his commitment has flipped the script on the SEC’s pecking order.
