Five days before its opening game of the 2026-27 season, it’s still unclear who will be playing for Will Wade’s first LSU men’s basketball team of his second tenure at the school, with several of his would-be players in eligibility limbo.
Thanks to a welcome bit of news Thursday, there’s a little less uncertainty about who will be one of the centerpieces of his second Tigers team.
Reese Alston, a five-star point guard in the 2027 class, has committed to LSU, he announced in a news conference on Oct. 29.
A 6-foot-2 prospect out of Houston, Alston is rated by 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 9 player nationally in the 2027 class.
He committed to the Tigers
over a group of finalists that also included Louisville, Kentucky, Tennessee and Wichita State. In an interview with CBS Sports, he cited his relationship with Wade and the coach's system as factors in his commitment.
"I felt at home," Alston said of his decision. "I felt like I knew the place."
If Alston’s last name raises an eyebrow, it should. He’s the son of Rafer Alston, who played in the NBA from 1999-2010 and first gained fame as a legendary streetballer who went by the name “Skip 2 My Lou.”
Now, one of his kids will be skipping to his own Lou — Louisiana, that is.
Alston, whose nickname is “Lil Skip,” joins what was already ranked by 247 as a top-five 2027 recruiting class prior to his announcement on Thursday. Along with Alston, LSU has earned verbal pledges from guard King Gibson, the No. 14 overall player in the class, and Ahmad Hudson, the No. 19 prospect.
Last season at Second Baptist School in Houston, Alston averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. He received the Guy V. Lewis Award as the top boys basketball player in the Greater Houston area.
After being fired by the school in 2022 amid a slew of recruiting violations, Wade was brought back by LSU last March after spending the 2025-26 season at NC State. His first recruiting class with the Tigers was largely made up of players seeking a fifth season of eligibility, international prospects and, in RJ Luis’ case, a player who had signed multiple NBA contracts.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Reese Alston, 5-star PG, son of Rafer Alston, commits to LSU and Will Wade
