From veteran All-Americans to international defensive specialists, Will Wade’s controversial new roster promises high-stakes drama as these elite playmakers fight for eligibility and a chance at redemption.
The LSU Tigers men's basketball team went from having no players to having a roster full of controversial signees that has been the talk of the sport for the past week or so.
Will Wade has been putting together a group of veteran college transfers and international professionals who will need eligibility hearings to make sure that they can even play. The current known roster may not even be the one that takes the court, as some players may be ruled ineligible by the courts.
From the list of players they do currently have, though, these are the names that are most intriguing on the surface:
F RJ Luis Jr.
Luis was a second-team All-American back in 2025 with the St. John's Red Storm under Rick Pitino. He averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists that season and led the Red Storm to a 31-5 record and to the second round of the tournament.
The 23-year-old probably should have never went to the NBA draft when he did, but he did and went undrafted. He signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz and traded to the Boston Celtics but was waived. He signed with their G League team, but never played.
There is a good chance that he is the focal point of this team. He's the most proven in college basketball and should have a chip on his shoulder.
F Saliou Niang
Niang might not but up the best stats on this team, but he's going to be extremely fun to watch. He has been described as a defensive demon and will set the tone for the Tigers on that side of the. A defense with both Niang and Mo Dioubate sounds like a nightmare for opposing offenses.
Last season for Virtus Bologna of the LBA, Niang averaged 9.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 60.8% shooting from the field. He won't provide much in terms of perimeter shooting, but is at least efficient with the shots he does take.
G Abdi Bashir Jr.
It has felt like a long time since LSU has had a true sniper on their offense. Bashir is about as proven of a shooter as they could hope for.
Last year, for the Kansas State Wildcats, Bashir connected on 44.4% of his threes on 8.4 attempts per game. He averaged 13.2 points per night, fulfilling his role to perfection. He averaged 20.1 points while shooting 38.3% on 10.1 attempts as a sophomore for the Monmouth Hawks, so he has the capacity to take games over.
