Will Wade has a real opening here.
With the transfer portal now flooded by fifth-year players, LSU’s coach is staring at a market full of experienced guards and wings who want the same thing: a place where they can play, and play a lot. That’s the kind of pitch Wade can make right now, because LSU has room - plenty of it.
A Colorado U.S. District Court ruling from Judge Charlotte Sweeney that gives class of 2022 athletes who exhausted their eligibility in 2026 an additional fifth season across all sports does not change the transfer portal or any other rules.
But a Tennessee temporary injunction does. Davidson County Chancery Court Chancellor I’Ashea Myles wrote, “Defendant shall recognize Plaintiffs as eligible for the 2026-2027 basketball season and shall not deny or impede their recruitment, transfer, or certification on the basis of the challenged eligibility determination.”
That matters because dozens of players listed in Tennessee, Ohio, Colorado and California injunctions are now eligible to enter the men’s basketball transfer portal, which opened Monday and closes Aug. 10.
LSU, meanwhile, is in a different spot than most of the country. Roster and cap limits are forcing plenty of programs to be careful, but the Tigers have breathing room. The men’s roster currently includes only four signed transfers, along with an unranked high school commit and four overseas players still waiting on NCAA approval.
That gives Wade a chance to be aggressive, and the portal is stocked with names who would fit the opportunity-heavy pitch LSU can offer.
Donovan Dent of UCLA is one of the biggest. After three seasons at New Mexico, he transferred to the Bruins last year and then surprisingly retired from basketball, saying he would not pursue an NBA career after his final collegiate season.
That decision left a top guard and potential NBA Draft pick back in the market. The 6-foot-2 Dent started 34 games and averaged 13.3 points, 7.6 assists and 1.7 steals.
Maurice Odum is another guard who could draw plenty of attention. The Arizona State standout, who previously played at Pacific and Pepperdine, put together a breakout season as a Sun Devil with 16.4 points, 5.7 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He shot 40.6% from the floor and 37.7% from three while taking 7.2 threes a night.
AJ Storr brings scoring punch, too. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 15.5 points across 35 appearances and 15 starts at Ole Miss last season, hitting 44.8% of his shots and 35% from deep.
He has also played at St. John’s, Wisconsin and Kansas.
There’s size in the frontcourt as well. Cameron Corhen spent his first two seasons at Florida State before finishing at Pitt, where he started every game in each of the last two years. He produced 13.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 53.3% from the field and 36.8% from three.
Chris Bell, who averaged more than 20 minutes a game in three seasons at Syracuse before transferring to Cal as a senior, also brings shooting. He connected on 40% of his threes last season, owns a career 38.7% mark from long range, and finished with 14.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 45.9% overall.
Jayden Epps is another proven scorer. The 6-foot-2 guard started 23 of 30 games at Mississippi State after previous stops at Illinois and Georgetown. He averaged 13.7 points, 2.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 40.4% from the floor and 30.6% from three.
BJ Edwards gives a coach a little bit of everything. After his freshman year at Tennessee, he became a three-year starter at SMU and posted 12.7 points per game as a senior, along with 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He shot 47.4% from the field and 37.2% from three.
Dug McDaniel has traveled a long road through the portal already, with stops at Michigan, Kansas State and Memphis. The 5-foot-11 guard started all 32 games for the Tigers last season and averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds a night.
Oziyah Sellers also arrives with experience from multiple stops. After playing at USC and Stanford, he started 36 games as a senior at St.
John’s and helped the Red Storm reach the Sweet 16. He averaged 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
Barry Dunning Jr. made his impact in one season at Pitt, where the guard started 27 of 33 games and averaged 12.5 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 46.6% from the field.
And then there’s the 6-foot-3 guard from Clemson, who started every game as a senior after four seasons in the program. His role grew each year, and his final season ended with 7.5 points, three assists and 3.7 rebounds per game, along with a 34.7% mark from three.
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