LSU will put two of its most seasoned newcomers on the stage Tuesday when Will Wade takes Abdi Bashir Jr. and Mo Dioubate to Birmingham for SEC Tipoff '27, the conference’s annual basketball media event.
The Tigers are set for their podium session at 10:50 a.m. CT on the opening day of the two-day gathering at the Hotel Wildemont. SEC Network and SEC Network+ will carry coverage.
Bashir and Dioubate both arrive in Baton Rouge with plenty of college mileage, and LSU is counting on that experience to matter right away for a roster that Wade has reshaped.
Bashir, a 6-foot-7 guard from Omaha, Nebraska, comes to LSU after one season at Kansas State and two years at Monmouth. He was one of the more dangerous shooters in the Tigers’ orbit last season, averaging 13.2 points per game at Kansas State while hitting 44.4 percent of his three-pointers, going 66 for 151 from deep.
His biggest scoring burst came at Monmouth as a sophomore, when he put up 20.1 points per game, added 2.2 assists and buried 127 threes. Across his first three college seasons, Bashir has made 245 shots from beyond the arc, giving LSU a proven weapon on the perimeter.
Dioubate brings a different kind of value. The Queens, New York native has already logged three seasons in the SEC, spending two years at Alabama before playing last season at Kentucky.
He appeared in 31 games for the Wildcats and averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds. At Alabama during his sophomore year, he posted 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
In 101 career games, Dioubate has finished with eight double-doubles and reached double figures 23 times. That SEC background, along with his work on the boards, gives Wade another experienced piece in the frontcourt.
LSU will get its first look at outside competition Thursday night, when it faces McNeese in a 6:30 p.m. exhibition in Lake Charles.
The Tigers then head back to Baton Rouge for a free-admission exhibition against UCF on Wednesday, October 14, at 7 p.m. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. That game will also be shown on SEC Network+.
In Other News...
LSU Could Get Caught In The SECs Next Transfer Fight
Lane Kiffin has already made it clear where he stands on the SECs latest transfer debate, and the LSU coach is not enthusiastic about the idea of making players sit out a year when they move from one league school to another. The proposal under discussion would amount to a year-in-residency mandate, part of the conferences broader self-governance push, and it has quickly become one of the more divisive issues on the table as SEC presidents prepare to meet and talk it through.
For LSU, the stakes go beyond the policy itself. Kiffins public criticism reflects a bigger concern around competitive balance, since a rule like that could make it harder for SEC programs to add familiar transfers while potentially sending players to other conferences instead. The discussion is still in motion, but if the league moves forward, it could reshape how LSU and the rest of the SEC navigate the transfer market. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Finally Broke Through At Kentucky But One Issue Still Looms
LSUs simulated trip to Kentucky turned into a much-needed response, as the Tigers erased a 10-point halftime deficit and came away with a 20-13 win. The defense steadied after the break and kept Kentucky off the board in the second half, while Caden Durham provided the decisive fourth-quarter touchdown to finish off a game that had started with the Tigers on their heels.
Sam Leavitts stat line showed both the promise and the problem. He completed 28 of 39 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown, but the three interceptions kept LSU from making the game feel comfortable for long stretches. The comeback was encouraging, and the result mattered, but the turnover issue still sits there as the main thing to clean up moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Peterson Just Gave LSU Fans Another Reason To Celebrate
LSUs proud defensive tradition got another nod this week when the Southeastern Conference unveiled its 2026 Football Legends Class, and Patrick Peterson was among the names to be honored. For Tiger fans, it is a familiar reminder of how dominant Peterson was in Baton Rouge from 2008 to 2010, when he piled up major awards and finished his college run as one of the most decorated corners in school history.
Petersons LSU rsum still carries plenty of weight because what he became after leaving campus only added to the legend. He went on to a 13-season NFL career and earned multiple Pro Bowl selections, giving the Tigers another marquee figure to celebrate as the SEC prepares to recognize its latest group of greats. [Read more 🡒]