When coach Will Wade was fired by LSU in March of 2022 over then-forbidden pay-for-play recruiting practices, athletic director Scott Woodward sought a less temperamental and controversial replacement who'd patiently guide the program through a period of sanctions and rebuild it while remaining in good standing with the NCAA. Matt McMahon did everything expected of him except win. When Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry precipitated Woodward's ouster last year, the door was open to bring back Wade, whose combination of intensity, irreverence and winning basketball filled stands and fostered fan loyalty.
Wade — who left N.C. State after one season to rejoin LSU — is trying to capitalize on more liberal NCAA rules about player payment and movement in order to turn the Tigers back into contenders.. There are also questions about roster stability as players, including prized recruit RJ Luis Jr., went to court to extend their eligibility.
LSU's revamped lineup — at least initially — will include UCLA transfer guards Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark, who won a court order for a fifth season of eligibility. Other projected top producers include Abdi Bashir Jr., a transfer guard from Kansas State; Michael Ruzic, a 7-foot center from Croatia with professional experience in Europe; and Saliou Niang, a 6-8 forward from Italy who also has played in European developmental leagues.
Every player from last season is gone, most prominent among them Max MacKinnon (15.7 points per game), Dedan Thomas Jr. (15.3 ppg), Michael Nwoko (13.4 ppg) and Marquel Sutton (13.1 ppg). In addition to Dent, Clark, Bashir and Niang, new additions to LSU's roster include: 7-foot center Brice Dessert from France; 7-3 center Gilad Levy of Israel; transfer forward Mo Dioubate from Kentucky; transfer guard Divine Ugochukwu from Michigan State; and transfer guard Austin Nunez from UTSA.
LSU's first big test of Wade's second stint on the sideline comes on Nov. 14 against preseason No. 15 Gonzaga in Spokane, Washington. On Dec. 13, the Tigers visit No. 10 Houston. LSU also will face a handful of preseason-ranked teams in SEC play, including: at No. 20 Alabama on Jan. 5; vs. No 8 Tennessee on Jan. 9; at No. 23 Kentucky on Jan. 13; vs. No. 7 Texas on Jan. 19; at No. 12 Arkansas on Jan. 26; vs. No. 24 Vanderbilt on Feb. 2; vs. No. 1 Florida on Feb. 17; and vs. No. 12 Arkansas on March 2.
Wade's previous stint at LSU from 2017-2022 ended with a 105-51 record. ... The Tigers received berths to the NCAA Tournament three times while Wade was coach, although he was not with the team for two of those tournament appearances (2019 and 2022) because of allegations of recruiting violations. LSU also appeared on track to play in the NCAA Tournament in 2020, going 21-10 before the rest of the college basketball season was canceled because of the pandemic. ... LSU has not made an NCAA Tournament since Wade left. ... LSU's roster had just four listed players until early October, since which a combination of NCAA eligibility waivers and court orders have allowed the Tigers to formally add eight more players.
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