LSU’s new-look basketball team just delivered the kind of win that makes people pay attention.
On Saturday, the Tigers knocked off No. 14 Gonzaga, 81-80, on the road, and they did it with a late surge that ended with Donovan Dent burying the go-ahead three-pointer with 1.5 seconds left. LSU erased a second-half deficit and walked out with a result that says plenty about where this team might be headed.
Dent was the finisher, but he was also LSU’s most reliable weapon all night. He finished with 23 points and 10 assists, shooting 9-for-20 from the field. Gonzaga got 18 points and 13 rebounds from Braden Huff, but LSU had the final answer.
The Tigers had to claw back from a 13-point second-half hole, and they never looked rattled. That matters for a roster that’s mostly new to Baton Rouge.
This group may be unfamiliar to a lot of fans, but it’s built with experience, and that showed when the game started tilting against them. LSU stayed in the fight and kept making plays.
That’s been the bigger story around this team all offseason. Will Wade took a different path when putting the roster together, leaning away from high school recruiting and the transfer portal.
Instead, he targeted international players with professional experience and college veterans who needed waivers or legal help to become eligible. LSU didn’t even reveal its roster until just weeks before the season began.
Now the early returns are hard to ignore. The Tigers are 4-0 in Wade’s second stint at LSU, and this was their first real test of 2026. Going on the road and beating one of college basketball’s top programs gives this start some real weight.
The win should put LSU in line for a spot in the next AP Poll, and it also gives the program a legitimate case as a team with NCAA Tournament potential.
In Other News...
Texas Hits Unexpected Travel Snag Right Before LSU Showdown
Texas ran into an unexpected hurdle on the way to Baton Rouge this week, with the Longhorns caught in a nationwide ground stop ordered by the FAA on Nov. 13. The disruption stemmed from air traffic control communications problems affecting facilities across the country, and it put a wrinkle into a normal game-week routine for a team preparing to face LSU.
For the Tigers, it is another reminder that a marquee matchup can be shaped by more than what happens between the lines. Several college football teams were affected by the same travel issue heading into weekend games, and it remains unclear how long the delays will last or whether they will have any impact on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Kelly Could Be Headed For Another Power 4 Chance
Brian Kelly is back in the coaching conversation after interviewing for Marylands head coaching job, a reminder that his name still carries weight in Power 4 circles even after his LSU run ended. Since leaving Baton Rouge, Kelly has shifted into an on-air role with CBS Sports, but his rsum and experience keep him in the mix whenever a major program opens up.
At LSU, Kelly never quite delivered the championship push the school expected when it hired him, and he has acknowledged as much in recent comments. He went 34-14 with the Tigers, a solid mark by most standards, but one that fell short of the national-title benchmark LSU had in mind, leaving his next move a notable storyline for a fan base that watched the fit unravel before the results ever matched the ambition. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Biggest Texas Question Still Comes Down To Whit Weeks
Whit Weeks remains the name LSU fans will watch closest as the Tigers get ready for Texas, with the final injury report listing the linebacker as questionable but expected to dress and test his leg during warmups. That keeps the focus on one of LSUs most important defensive pieces heading into a matchup that already carries plenty of weight, while starting right tackle Weston Davis is probable and defensive lineman Gabe Reliford is off the report entirely, a sign he could be back in the mix as well.
The other side of the equation may be just as important, since Texas star edge Colin Simmons is not on the injury report after missing time with a high ankle sprain. For LSU, the question is less about the headline names on paper and more about how much Weeks can actually give them once warmups start, because his availability could shape how the Tigers handle a Longhorns front that appears to be getting healthier at the right time. [Read more 🡒]