Will Wade Talks Recruiting On Tingle & Co. Podcast – “We’ve Got Way More Than 1 Player”

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade tried to calm the masses of LSU fans concerned over his current one-man roster for the 2026-27 season during a podcast Tuesday morning with Tingle & Co in Baton Rouge.

“We’re only gonna pay 8 or 9 guys…we’re gonna pay the guys who play. I would tell you sitting here right now, we’ve got all but one spot filled…an we’re working on that last spot.”@Coach_WillWade on the state of his #LSU Basketball Roster👀 pic.twitter.com/15lS6dSKlD

— Tingle & Co (@Tingle__Co) May 5, 2026

“People say I can’t count,” he joked. “I know we need at least five players.”

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LSU’s lone roster player at the moment is No. 8-ranked small forward portal transfer Mouhamad Dioubate (6-foot-7, 220), formerly of Kentucky who will be a senior for the Tigers next season.

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And Wade is close to gaining a commitment from forward Saliou Niang (6-6, 190), a professional player for Virtus Bologna in Bologna, Italy. Niang, who was a second round pick of Cleveland in the 2025 NBA Draft. But he decided to play professionally in Italy.

“We’ve got way more than one player,” Wade said. “Some of these guys are still playing (overseas). Some of these guys are still negotiating with their teams.”

Wade is also after players who may be selected in the NBA Draft on June 23 and 24, but decide not to play professionally.

“We’re only going to pay for eight or nine guys – the ones who are going to play,” Wade said. “I would contend that we have all but one spot filled. We’ve got a majority of those guys signed.”

But Wade has not publicized any signees other than Dioubate of Kentucky.

“At some level, they’re signed,” he said, but didn’t explain.

Wade can sign as many as 14 more players for a 15-man roster, but he said the the reserves after his top eight or nine will make minimal money.

LSU’s recruiting class of one for 2026-27 is currently ranked No. 97 in the nation, and Wade has one of the few rosters in the nation with only one player on it.

“It doesn’t matter who wins in March or April,” Wade said. “This is going to take some time. We have a few tricks up our sleeve. We’ll be all right. We’re in a good place. We’re taking our time. We don’t want to make a mistake. We can be selective. We will be talented.”