By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The LSU men’s basketball roster is down to ground zero with the last player standing, freshman point guard Jalen Reece, entering the NCAA Transfer Portal on Friday.
But new LSU coach Will Wade is basically saying, “What me worry?”
Time is a flat circle, when Will Wade left LSU there were 0 players left on the roster, now that he's back there are 0 players left on the roster.
— Michael Cauble (@Cauble) April 17, 2026
I texted with Will yesterday, he didn't seem worried about the way they're building the roster. Working in silence. https://t.co/Yh2PTYdAmg
Wade did not start signing transfers from the portal in his only season last year at North Carolina State until 12 days after the 2025 spring portal opened on March 24 as he signed Quadir Copeland on April 4. The next one came 17 days after the opening of the portal, then 21 days, 32 days, two signees 33 days after the portal opened, another one nearly two months later and the final one more than two months later on June 1. Wade’s portal class of eight last year finished No. 14 in the portal rankings by 247sports.com.
The current portal window ends this Tuesday on April 22, but that is just the deadline for players to enter the portal. Players in the portal can be signed for months after April 22.
Will sure is Wading into the Transfer Portal slowly. So far, he has as many commitments as Matt McMahon, who’s no longer working.https://t.co/Bal32chD9t
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) April 16, 2026
So on Wade’s clock, it’s still early. The 12th day after the current portal opening of April 7 is Saturday, April 18. If he signs a player on Saturday, he will be on the same pace he was last year.
The other LSU players and Reece who have entered the portal who have not yet signed with another school can exit the portal and remain at LSU if Wade so chooses. Reece could fall into that category, considering how deep into the portal window he remained out of the portal.
Reece (6-foot-0, 185) signed with former LSU coach Matt McMahon as the No. 79 prospect in the country and No. 11 point guard out of Oak Ridge High in Orlando, Florida. He was the No. 19 prospect in the state. Reece averaged 5.8 points and 3.6 assists a game last season in 32 games and 10 starts with 23.8 minutes a game.
He replaced starting point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. (who has transferred to Houston) for most of the Southeastern Conference season after Thomas injured his foot and was eventually lost for the season. Reece averaged 7.3 points and 4.7 assists in 18 league games with nine starts. He also shot 35 percent from three-point range (20 of 56) in league play.
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