LSU basketball coach Will Wade is reshaping his squad ahead of the new season, focusing on a core of elite talent after a tumultuous offseason that saw nine players enter the transfer portal.
Wade, now in his second stint leading the program, has said the team will allocate the bulk of its budget to the top half of the roster, potentially signing seven or eight scholarship players while keeping the remainder flexible for emergency call‑ups.
A Strategic Addition
Among the newest prospects is Saliou Niang, a 6‑foot‑6 forward who spent the last season with Virtus Bologna in Italy's Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroLeague, where he posted averages of 9.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
Niang’s shooting efficiency was notable, hitting 60.8% from the field, 36.8% beyond the arc and 75.3% at the free‑throw line in the domestic league, numbers that caught the eye of Wade’s staff.
The player was originally selected 58th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2025 NBA Draft, though he opted to return overseas after a brief summer‑league stint with the Cavaliers, where he averaged 7.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in limited minutes.
Wade believes Niang can provide depth and versatility, potentially becoming the seventh scholarship player on a roster that will be built around a handful of high‑impact transfers.
Rebuilding the Coaching Staff
The coaching overhaul includes hires such as Rick Stansbury as associate head coach, Johnny Jones as an assistant, and Damon Stoudamire, the former Georgia Tech head coach, also joining as an assistant.
Vernon Hamilton, who served as LSU’s director of player development under Wade, was the latest addition to the staff, bringing experience from his time at NC State.
With the roster still in flux, Wade expects the financial commitment for his first season to be higher than in subsequent years, as most of the talent will come from the transfer portal.