Where Does LSU's Men's Basketball Roster Stand Ahead of the Season?

LSU head coach Will Wade has spent his offseason building a roster that makes the word unconventional an understatement.

The Tigers will have one of the oldest rosters in college basketball, while also having one of the most foreign rosters. Four international players, four transfers, one commit from a player who has signed NBA contracts but never suited up, and only one high school commit make up the 2026-27 team.

Only four players have signed with LSU, with all of them being collegiate transfers. Most of the transfers will fill out the guard and forward positions, while the international transfers are taking up the spots of the bigs. While LSU has only signed four players, it also has only10 players on its roster total.

Depth could be an issue for LSU at certain positions if injuries begin to affect the team's stars like it did in the 2025-26 season. The main positive for LSU's current roster is that many players can play multiple positions, but this is where their primary focus will be.

LSU's guards

Abdi Bashir Jr. holds the ball while playing against Arizona State in 2026 | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Michigan State transfer guard Divine Ugochuwku will likely be LSU's starting point guard, despite being the youngest addition to the team outside of LSU's one high school commit.

He only played 16.1 minutes per game in 2025-26, where he averaged 5.1 points, 1.5 assists and 0.7 turnovers. Ugochukwu demonstrates a strong game sense that will benefit the offense.

Kansas State transfer guard Abdi Bashir Jr will be bouncing between point guard and shooting guard, depending on if Ugochukwu is on the floor or not. He can lead the ball up the court, but shines with his deep shots.

“Abdi Bashir will be a good addition to our LSU Basketball program because of his elite shooting ability,” Wade said. "He shot over 44 percent this past season from three-point range at K-State and over his three-year career, stands just short of 40.0 percent."

UTSA transfer Austin Nunez and can fit in as either a point guard or shooting guard, having experience playing both positions in his four previous years playing collegiate basketball.

“We are happy to have Austin Nunez signed and here on campus in Baton Rouge,” Wade said. “He has great experience running a team on both ends of the floor at a high level. He brings valuable situational awareness to our program.”

Wings

RJ Luis dribbles the ball up for St. John's | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

LSU has a couple of players who will be playing at the wing and can be slotted in at either shooting guard or small forward.

2024-25 Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis has signed NBA contracts but never played, so his eligibility is still uncertain ahead of his season at LSU.

He offers elite experience and ability on the court to command the game, as he averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game at St. John’s during the 2024-25 season.

Another wing is Saliou Niang, who averaged 7.1 points on 62.9% field-goal shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.4 turnovers in 38 games in the Euroleague. His experience in the premier foreign professional league will lead him to success with LSU.

Forwards

Mouhamed Dioubate dunks the ball in a 2026 game | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Kentucky transfer Mouhamed Dioubate was the premier pickup for LSU out of the transfer portal. He can play all over the court but will primarily be down low as a forward.

“We are excited to have Mo Dioubate officially join the LSU Basketball program,” Wade said. “He is a physical competitor who has an ability to make good decisions at the right time on the floor."

Michael Ruzic is a 7'0 tall Croatian who is coming from Spain's top basketball league, where he averaged 6.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.7 blocks and 0.3 turnovers in 25 games this past season.

He can play center as well, but will mainly be playing power forward for LSU, where he can use his tall frame to grab rebounds and put-backs.

LSU's lone high school commit is a 6'8 left-handed forward. Jordan Bender comes from Northside Christian High School in Florida, where he played under Florida great Marreese Speights. He will be LSU's main piece of depth as he learns to play the collegiate game.

Centers

LSU center Mike Nwoko stands during a game against Texas in 2026 | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The center position is where international talent will be prime for LSU. The 6'11 Brice Dessert and the 6'9 Marcio Santos have both played in the EuroLeague, including a game against each other's teams.

Dessert averages more points but less assists than Santos, which can lead to them working well together if Santos slides over to power forward so they can be on the court at the same time.

Santos can do a little bit more of everything, as he is also a viable three-point threat. Dessert, on the other hand, will basically only be seen under the rim, grabbing rebounds with his 7'4 wingspan.

LSU's roster in all has a lot of versatility to move around the court, but just not a great amount of depth. And above all, the roster possesses a lot of pressure to show they belong playing in collegiate basketball's top conference.

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