Will Wade is Building Something at LSU That No One Has Ever Seen

The LSU Tigers are assembling a basketball team that college basketball has never seen

LSU Tigers head coach Will Wade reacts during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The LSU Tigers underwent an overhaul in the big two sports, taking in two new head coaches for the 2026-2027 seasons.

For men's basketball, Will Wade made his triumphant return to Baton Rouge, looking to bring the Tigers back to greatness as he had established during his first tenure there. Achieving that wouldn't be easy, as he was down to one player left on the roster after the changing of the guards.

Now looking to repair the roster, Wade is going an unconventional route, using pieces that have professional time spent in their storied careers. In a new era of college athletics, the Tigers are going an unconventional route that might take the sport by storm.

How the New LSU Roster is Unconventional

Florida forward Thomas Haugh (10) gets pressure from LSU forward Robert Miller III (6) during the first half of an NCAA mens basketball game at Steven C. O'Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For many programs in college basketball, reloading for a season heavily relies on high school recruiting and efficient use of the transfer portal to build a successful product. While for some schools, that comes easily, after an entire roster is gutted, sometimes a new plan is needed to reach those results.

For Davis, that new plan included players that might not have been first thoughts, mainly because they weren't at a college this past season. Yam Madar, and RJ Luis, both commitments for the Tigers, were not at a college last year because they were both playing professionally, Luis in the U.S. and Madar abroad.

That unconventional route sparked a discussion about whether it was "fair," but not about whether it was right. For Davis, the roster isn't entirely built of old pros, with other talented acquisitions such as Austin Nunez from UTSA, but it is heavily supplemented by them.

Will it Work?

LSU Tigers men’s basketball head coach looks on during a time out against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Smoothie King Center. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

In theory, signing professional players with collegiate eligibility is still a genius idea, as they have clearly demonstrated top-end talent that makes them viable at the next level. The real problem will be if they get eligibility to play, a massive hurdle that will decide the Tigers' fate next season.

Luis is currently not eligible for college basketball, and despite going undrafted last year, he signed a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz. Madar is a former second-round pick from the 2020 draft, and he has recently been playing in the EuroLeague. While that is typically allowed, it's the NBA selection that makes the water murky.

As demonstrated last season with Charles Bediako and the Alabama Crimson Tide, it's not a guarantee that they will be allowed to play at any point during the season, which would dampen the Tigers' plans. If they do play, though, Wade will look like a mastermind, and the Tigers will be back to dominance once again.

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