The LSU Tigers men’s basketball team has had an eventful offseason.
Following four seasons with the club, the Tigers parted ways with head coach Matt McMahon and brought back Will Wade, who returns to Baton Rouge four years after his previous spell with LSU. Wade’s arrival was good for the Tigers, but it was regarded as a controversial move by collegiate basketball fans. After an early departure in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four, he only served one season as NC State’s head coach.
Since then, criticism of Wade has only intensified. LSU’s attempts to build its 2026 roster fell short, prompting Wade and the coaching staff to take extraordinary moves, including adding ex G League and foreign professional players to a squad.
This strategy led to one of college basketball’s most prominent figures expressing his thoughts on the roster decisions and how they might hurt the sport as a whole.
LSU Coach Will Wade Slapped by Insider: Don’t Ruin the Game
During an episode of The Field of 68 college basketball podcast, analyst Jeff Goodman criticized Wade’s roster construction.
Will Wade, I wish you hadn’t returned to college basketball. Goodman said, “Honestly, I mean it. ” I like Will. I first met Will when he was an assistant at Harvard in 2007-2008. However, dude, college basketball is a travesty right now. Seriously, you are terrible at college basketball. You are making it a laughingstock, and look in the mirror and understand that it is not all about you. This is more than just you. This is about the game of college basketball. Have some pride and dignity. Don’t try to ruin the game.
LSU’s new players this offseason include ordinary transfers such as Divine Ugochukwu (Michigan State), Abdi Bashir Jr. (Kansas State), Mouhamed Dioubate (Kentucky), and Austin Nunez (UTSA).
However, LSU has performed the majority of its labor with non-portal acquisitions.
This includes Brice Dessert, a 23-year-old Frenchman who has played professionally for four years; former St. John’s forward R. J. Luis, who will need an NCAA eligibility waiver to play next season; Croatian center Michael Ruzic; former NBA draft pick Saliou Niang; and Brazilian forward Márcio Santos.
Goodman said that several others are to blame, but Wade should be the final person to do so after abandoning NC State after only one season.
“I know people are attempting to bend the regulations, and I get it,” Goodman said. Scott Drew accomplished it last year with James Nnaji, Nate Oates did it last year with Charles Bediako, but this is absurd. This is totally outrageous. First and foremost, you’ve been given another chance here after being forced out of the sport. You excelled at McNeese State, and you know what? What did you do after receiving the offer to play at NC State? You did this after one year at NC State and told yourself, “I’m leaving, I’m going back to LSU. ” Now, the same thing is happening again.
We understand that the rules have changed, but come on, man. Again, have some pride, such as dignity in your job, in your work, have some dignity. It’s unthinkable.
Only time will tell if Wade’s strategy will lead to success on the court for LSU, or if it will be more of the same.
In any case, it is obvious that the system must be reformed and new rules must be implemented.
