LSU got a wave of good news on Tuesday, and it could reshape the way the Tigers look when the season opens.
A handful of key men’s basketball targets were cleared to play, with Saliou Niang, Brice Dessert, Skyy Clark and Donovan Dent all ruled eligible through different avenues. For a roster that has been in flux and still has pieces to sort out only a couple of weeks before the campaign begins, that matters.
Niang stands out as the headliner. LSU is excited about what he brings on the defensive end, where his athleticism should make him one of the nation’s toughest matchups.
The Tigers are now set to pair him with Mo Dioubate, giving opponents a difficult nightly assignment on the wings. Niang, 22, already has NBA draft equity too, having been selected in the second round at No. 58 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2025.
Dessert also gives LSU a major addition up front. The near seven-footer averaged 8.7 points per game while shooting 80.6% from the field in Turkey last season, and he should ease the burden on Michael Ruzic in the frontcourt.
Clark and Dent were already expected to be part of the mix, and both received eligibility again through an injunction in California. The former UCLA teammates are now projected to stay together at LSU, where they are expected to form the starting backcourt.
Not every update was good news, though. RJ Luis was included among the group of targets getting attention on Tuesday, but the source notes that one of the eligibility developments will be disappointing for many.
In Other News...
LSU Heads To Auburn With Two More Starter Questions
LSUs injury picture got a little murkier coming out of the Mississippi State game, and now the Tigers are heading into Auburn with two more starter questions hanging over the week. Princewill Umanmielen and Jackson Harris both went down in the contest, and both figures are likely to land on the injury report as LSU starts sorting out who will be available for a road trip that already figures to test the depth chart.
Umanmielens issue is an upper body injury believed to be head-related, which could put him into concussion protocol, while Harris left with a foot injury and was seen in a boot afterward. Brian Kelly didnt offer any medical updates, though he did indicate Harris is expected to be fine, and LSU is prepared to lean on backups if either player cant go against Auburn. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Lost A Key Piece In Will Wades First Season
LSU has settled one eligibility fight before the season even tips, and the result leaves Will Wades first roster with a notable hole. Guard RJ Luis Jr. will not be cleared by the SEC to play for the Tigers after the league determined he violated conference rules tied to signing a professional contract, ending the programs battle over his status and shifting the focus to getting ready for the year ahead.
There is at least one brighter note in Baton Rouge, though, because forward Saliou Niang has been ruled eligible for the season. Niang was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, but his decision to attend college came before recent NCAA rule changes, allowing LSU to keep him in the mix as it tries to move past the Luis situation and sort out its rotation. [Read more 🡒]
LSU-Auburn Just Got More Complicated At Linebacker
LSUs trip to Auburn took a hit when linebacker Whit Weeks suffered a fractured right leg and is expected to miss the upcoming game. Weeks has been a key part of the Tigers defensive plans, so his absence adds another layer of uncertainty to a matchup that already carried plenty of weight.
Auburn is dealing with its own linebacker shakeup after Xaiver Atkins was dismissed from the team ahead of the game, following an earlier suspension for undisclosed disciplinary reasons. Atkins has said he plans to enter the transfer portal, while Auburn coach Alex Golesh has not revealed what led to the discipline, leaving both sides with major questions in the middle of a conference matchup that was already shaping up to be tricky enough. [Read more 🡒]