LSU Men's Basketball Full Schedule Release Features Multiple Big Storylines

Will Wade's second stint at LSU is going to be fascinating.

The Tigers only have four players confirmed to be on the roster currently, with many international commits still unsigned. St. John's transfer RJ Luis is in Baton Rouge and in the LSU gym, but isn't officially signed.

On top of the unorthodox roster, Wade packed the out of conference schedule with tough games. Overall, LSU plays at least 17 games against teams that competed in postseason tournaments last year, with two games at the Acrisure Series against opponents to be determined.

LSU Men's Basketball Schedule | Courtesy of LSU Athletics

Some exciting games and rematches come all across the schedule, including LSU's first Friday SEC game since 1991. Here are the biggest storylines to follow in the schedule.

Homecomings and facing former schools

Jalen Reece celebrates against Texas in 2026 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The first time that this fresh LSU team steps on a court will be an exhibition against the school that gave Wade a chance after he was fired from LSU. The Tigers travel to Lake Charles to play McNeese.

LSU didn't retain any players from this past season. The roster had a lot of talent, but injuries and coaching caused the team to lose 15 SEC games. Some players from that roster will face off against their former school.

Dedan Thomas Jr. was LSU's star addition out of the transfer portal in the 2025 offseason, and he lived up to the hype in the first few months of the season. Then, he dealt with a foot injury that saw him miss almost the entire SEC schedule.

Thomas transferred to Houston this offseason, and will face off against LSU on Dec. 13 at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Freshman point guard Jalen Reece showed a lot of promise when Thomas was out. Other SEC schools saw his potential as a starting point guard in the conference, and Texas A&M got him out of the transfer portal.

The Tigers and Aggies face off in College Station on Jan. 16 and in Baton Rouge on Feb. 27.

West coast venturing

Will Wade sits on the sideline watching a New Orleans Pelicans game in 2026 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LSU travels to the west coast on two seperate occasions, while welcoming a team from the Northwest into Baton Rouge to escape the cold in December.

LSU plays Gonzaga for the first time ever in a neutral site game taking place in Spokane, Wash. on Nov. 14. A week and a half later, LSU travels to Palm Springs, Calif. to play in the Acrisure Series. LSU's opponents are still to be determined, but the tournament consists mainly of West coast teams.

Then on Dec. 28, Washington State travels to Baton Rouge to play in the PMAC. All of these games against Western teams are out of the ordinary for LSU's typical Louisiana and Texas filled non-conference schedule, but the Tigers still make time for four in-state schools.

A manageable SEC schedule

LSU plays in the 2025 SEC tournament | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

No one is going to have an easy schedule in the SEC, but LSU gets off without having the worst of it. It plays home-and-homes with Arkansas, Texas A&M and Auburn.

The Aggies have the ability to be one of the best teams in the conference, and Arkansas is coached by John Calipari, but lost much of its offensive production. Auburn had a down year in 2025-26 and went 8-12 in the conference.

January will be tough, as the Tigers have a four game stretch at Alabama, against Tennessee at home, then travels to play Kentucky then Texas A&M. Three tough road games mixed in with a home game against a talented Tennessee team looks like it will be the hardest part of the year.

The Tigers have a few easier games before ending the month at Arkansas and at Georgia, both of whom were top eight seeds in March Madness last year. The schedule opens up a bit after that, including a rare Friday SEC game against Ole Miss on Feb. 5.

The Tigers have the chance to get a lot of conference wins and get a spot in the NCAA tournament.

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