By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
New LSU basketball coach Will Wade – for a second time – was so excited about jumping through the NCAA Transfer Portal window that opened Tuesday, he got the date wrong.
“We’re going to build a winning program,” he said last Monday at a press conference turned pep rally of promises inside a rocking Pete Maravich Assembly Center. “And we’re going to build this thing quick. This is not something that’s going to take long. We’re going to get in that portal when it opens next Monday.”
Well, only the women’s college basketball portal opened Monday. Wade had to wait until today to sign players out of the portal. But he has been saying his favorite LSU phrase, “Boot Up,” for some time now as he has likely been lining up new signees for weeks as he knew he was leaving North Carolina State for LSU long before news broke of Wade returning to LSU.
“We’re going to put together a winner, because everybody in here deserves a winner,” Wade said. “I want everybody to know with LSU basketball, our time is now with LSU basketball. I came here to win, and we’re going to win immediately.”
And he may sign multiple transfers immediately – like today.
Say what you want about Matt McMahon, but Will Wade could inherit better players from him than Wade left for him 4 years ago.https://t.co/CzxNr59hsZ
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) April 3, 2026
Wade has a chance to add two portal players from North Carolina State, who replaced Wade last week with Justin Gainey, who was a Tennessee assistant coach from 2021-26 and is in his first head coaching job.
Wade’s top target from the Wolfpack is No. 22 overall portal prospect MATT ABLE (6-foot-6, 205), who is the No. 4 ranked shooting guard by 247sports.com. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game last season as a freshman for Wade in 34 games with no starts. He was the No. 28 prospect in the nation last year as a four star from Sagemont Prep in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, area and No. 9 player in Florida.
Another possible addition from NC State is No. 132 portal prospect and No. 25 small forward TERRANCE ARCENEAUX (6-6, 205). He averaged 3.8 points and 2.6 rebounds last season in 30 games with no starts as a junior transfer from Houston. He was the No. 31 prospect in the nation, No. 10 small forward and No. 4 player in Texas out of Beaumont United High in Beaumont.
Four other portal players ranked by 247sports.com that will possibly be LSU signees are:
-No. 10 overall portal prospect and No. 2 small forward KJ LEWIS (6-foot-4, 210) of Georgetown. … Averaged 14.9 points and 2.5 assists this past season as a junior. … Was the No. 85 prospect in the nation and No. 18 small forward out of Duncanville High in Duncanville, Texas, and the No. 5 player in Texas.
-No. 16 portal prospect and No. 3 combination guard JEREMIAH WILKINSON (6-1, 185) of Georgia. … Averaged 17.4 points as a sophomore last season. … Was the No. 30 combo guard and No. 20 prospect in Georgia out of McEachern High in Powder Springs.
-No. 19 portal prospect and No. 4 center NAJAI HARRIS (6-10, 265) of Seton Hall. … Averaged 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks as a freshman last season. … Was recruited by Wade out of Plainfield High in Plainfield, New Jersey, last year when he was the No. 71 prospect in the nation, No. 8 center and No. 1 recruit in New Jersey.
-No. 75 portal prospect and No. 11 shooting guard DEVIN VANTERPOOL (6-4, 175) of Florida Atlantic. … Averaged 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds a game last season as a sophomore. … Was the No. 52 shooting guard in the nation out Christ the King High in New York City and No. 10 player in New York.
“We’re going to be rooted in toughness,” Wade promised. “We’re going to be rooted in discipline. We’re going to recruit competitors who want to play that way. We’re going to recruit competitors that understand what it means to put those three letters across your chest every day. You won’t find anybody that’s more proud to wear that LSU in the state of Louisiana than this guy right here. And we’re going to find 15 players that are willing to lay it on the line for us every night.”
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