Will Wade has his first big recruiting win back at LSU, and it comes with a name that has been climbing up boards all cycle.
Five-star 2027 combo guard King Gibson announced Sunday that he is headed to LSU, picking the Tigers over Arkansas, Louisville and Providence. Gibson, who plays at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds and is widely viewed as one of the best guards in the country.
According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, Gibson checks in as the No. 15 overall prospect nationally, the No. 1 combo guard and a five-star in the 2027 class. For LSU, that makes this a major recruiting pull after Wade’s return to Baton Rouge.
The competition was real all the way through. Arkansas and John Calipari were among LSU’s biggest challengers late, and Louisville and Providence rounded out Gibson’s final four with the Tigers and Razorbacks. Over the course of his recruitment, he also drew offers and interest from UConn, Kentucky, Alabama, Houston, Michigan, Baylor, Syracuse, Auburn and NC State.
There was already a connection between Gibson and Wade before Wade came back to LSU. Wade and his staff had recruited Gibson at NC State, where the guard made multiple visits and emerged as one of the Wolfpack’s top priorities in the 2027 class. Once Wade got back to LSU, the Tigers re-offered Gibson and quickly became a serious player again.
That momentum kept building through the spring and summer, and LSU eventually got Gibson on campus for an official visit during the Tigers’ Sept. 26 football weekend against Texas A&M. That trip turned into a key moment in the process.
Before heading to Baton Rouge, Gibson had already taken official visits to Louisville, UConn and Arkansas. He also had an October trip to Baylor lined up, but canceled it before making his decision.
On the floor, Gibson gives LSU a long, athletic backcourt piece who can handle either guard spot. As a junior at SPIRE Academy, he averaged about 15 points, four assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. His stock kept rising on the Nike EYBL circuit in the spring and summer, where he put up 17.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists across three sessions while shooting 48 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from 3-point range.
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