Will Wade’s second stint at LSU is taking shape in a way that looks nothing like the first.
At his first men’s basketball press conference of the 2026-2027 season, Wade made it clear he’s leaning into a roster built around transfers and international players, and he isn’t trying to dress it up as something else. He owned the direction outright.
“What we’re doing is unconventional. [We have to] be unapologetic about it,” Wade said. “If we fail, I own it.”
That approach comes with a very different backdrop than the one LSU had during Wade’s first run from 2017-2022. NCAA rule changes have reshaped the landscape, and NIL has become a major factor for LSU and a selling point for players who didn’t find the NBA success they were chasing when his first stint in Baton Rouge ended.
Even with that shift, the roster situation remains messy. Wade’s current team has only four players listed, and with the first exhibition game just two weeks away, the uncertainty stands out even more. Several players who are not officially on the roster are still working through eligibility issues, with court rulings, temporary restraining orders and clearance from the NCAA or SEC all part of the picture.
The Tigers are set to face McNeese State on Oct. 8 in their first exhibition game, and Wade’s path back to that matchup carries a little extra weight. McNeese was the first school to give him a coaching job after he was fired at LSU, and he didn’t downplay what that opportunity meant.
“If [McNeese] never took the chance on me, I wouldn’t be here,” Wade said.
His time in Lake Charles delivered results too. McNeese went 50-9 under Wade and won back-to-back Southland Conference championships. He also helped energize the program’s school spirit, and that’s the kind of spark LSU fans are hoping to see again.
Wade said the exhibition is good for Lake Charles, and he described McNeese as a place where he wanted to build something that would last. He also pointed to the strength of that community, saying it is unparalleled.
Back at LSU, Wade is trying to keep the focus on what he believes this group can become. He said the team and staff have plenty of upside, and he sees criticism as something that can work in their favor.
“If we’re so bad, why do so many former players come back to work with us?” Wade said.
He added that the team is making progress on both ends of the floor, though defensive rebounding still needs work. Among the players drawing attention in practice are Skyy Clark, a fifth-year UCLA transfer, and Divine Ugochukwu, a transfer from Michigan State. Wade said each player brings something different, which has stood out to him so far.
The season begins Nov. 3, and there will be plenty for fans to watch as Wade’s latest LSU team takes shape ahead of his return to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
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