The end of 2025 and the start of 2026 could not have been any better for Tiger fans. With the arrival of Lane Kiffin as the head man for LSU’s football program and Jay Johnson and the baseball program celebrating their eighth national championship, the buzz around Baton Rouge was already high. It was unthinkable that it could get any higher at that moment.
That was until murmurs began circulating that the administration was putting things in place to make a change within the men’s basketball program.
The Tigers finished another disappointing season, going 15-17 overall with just three wins and 15 losses in SEC play. The Tigers finished dead last in the conference.
Matt McMahon took the job at LSU in an unenviable position, but over the course of his tenure in Baton Rouge, things just never got off the ground. Most people were willing to give McMahon a pass in his first season, when the Tigers finished 14-19 overall and 2-16 in the conference. However, Year 2 showed some promise, as the Tigers finished 17-16 overall and 9-9 in the SEC.
But the following two years saw the program regress back to the bottom of the conference, finishing 3-15 in SEC play in each of those seasons. Overall, McMahon finished his time at LSU with a record of 60 wins and 70 losses, and that’s just not good enough.
But the administration didn’t just want to make a change for the sake of making a change. They wanted their guy back.
Will Wade had a lot of success at LSU during his first stint and was unceremoniously let go from his position after getting caught up in a recruiting scandal. Wade would land on his feet, despite receiving some penalties from the NCAA, and spent two seasons at McNeese. After two very successful years, he was offered the opportunity to take over an NC State program that was struggling.
In his first year at NC State, Wade turned the program around. He took over a team that had finished 5-15 in the ACC and 12-19 overall. In his first season, the Wolfpack finished 20-14 overall and 10-8 in the ACC, earning an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Why would Wade want to leave NC State, a program with actual basketball pedigree, to return to the place that fired him?
Because this administration values who he is as a coach and understands how much he values Louisiana and LSU.
This place is “Just Different”
And now, this season for the men’s basketball team will be exactly that: “Just Different.”
Will Wade returns with NIL now being a prevalent feature in recruiting elite talent, and that’s where McMahon struggled. He couldn’t consistently bring in top-level talent.
That’s never been an issue for Wade. If anything, it was how he went about doing it that got him in trouble.
Earlier this offseason, Wade was asked about being back at LSU and having NIL at his disposal. Wade responded by stating:
“Everybody says it’s Name, Image, and Likeness… I say, Now It’s Legal.”
Those three words will define this new era for Wade and the LSU Tigers basketball program.
When Wade arrived, he immediately had to get to work, as the roster had completely turned over. Wade did not retain a single player from the previous roster and set his sights overseas, looking to bring several international professional players to LSU.
Wade pushed the boundaries as much as possible without crossing any lines. Of course, the SEC and other national media personalities took issue with some of the methods Wade was attempting to put into play.
The most controversial situation involved the recruitment of former NBA G League player RJ Luis.
Luis opted into the NBA Draft last season following his junior year at St. John’s but was not selected. He signed a two-way contract with the Jazz and was then traded to the Celtics. He was waived by the Celtics before the season began and played with the Maine Celtics, although he missed some time due to an injury.
Luis never played in an actual NBA game, but he had made the decision to leave college for his opportunity at the professional level.
Following all of this, Luis attempted to make a return to college, and Wade was at the heart of his recruitment to LSU. Luis ultimately chose to accept the opportunity.
However, the SEC took issue with the situation involving Luis and LSU, along with a similar situation involving the football program, which was seeking to do something along the same lines.
Since all of this transpired, Wade has stated that he will not add Luis to the roster.
This is a roster that was only recently finalized due to the program waiting on eligibility waivers from the NCAA for some international players, as well as several fifth-year transfers.
Wade has done a really good job of assembling talent.
This roster will be headlined by players like Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark, both coming in from UCLA. They are veteran guards who can create opportunities for themselves and others.
Abdi Bashir Jr. is another guard transferring in from Kansas State who can stretch the floor with his perimeter shooting. The Tigers also added a physical SEC forward in Mo Dioubate, who previously played at Alabama and Kentucky.
Then there are the international players who deserve some attention as well.
Saliou Niang is a forward coming over from the Italian league who may turn some heads, while French center Brice Dessert should be the man in the middle to help keep this team running.
This is not going to be like the LSU teams we’ve seen over the past four seasons.
The roster has talent, the coach has expectations, and the fans have hope.
And to quote Will Wade:
“Now It’s Legal.”
The Tigers are set to make their debut at 7 p.m. on SEC Network+ against the LSUNO Privateers.
Are you excited to have the General back at LSU? What are your expectations for this basketball team and the upcoming season?
