Show summary Hide summary
LSU men’s basketball quietly lifted the veil on its roster Thursday night, listing 10 players for an exhibition at McNeese that offered the program’s first public indication of who may be cleared to play this season. The appearance came amid ongoing eligibility questions and litigation that could still reshape the Tigers’ lineup before the regular season.
Exhibition reveals a pared-down rotation
LSU edged McNeese 63-60 in a game dominated by the same five starters for nearly the entire contest. Head coach Will Wade, making his on-court return to the LSU sideline after his 2022 dismissal, described his squad as “shorthanded.” The coach said he learned late Thursday that guard Michael Ruzic had been cleared to play — only at about 3:30 p.m. local time.
Wisconsin football sees players rise and fall after convincing win over USC
Tyler Herro’s late-game inconsistency keeps him from becoming a clear No. 1
Wade acknowledged the unusual circumstances around the trip. “If this wasn’t McNeese, I would not have come tonight,” he said, noting his prior ties to the program he once coached. He added that McNeese had sold tickets and that was part of the reason for making the short-notice appearance.
Who took the floor
Reporters at the non-televised exhibition recorded a 10-player roster, a significant shift after months during which LSU publicly listed only four athletes. The designated starting group featured a mix of transfers, a lawsuit-winning eligibility case and an overseas newcomer.
- Starting five: Divine Ugochukwu, Abdi Bashir Jr., Mouhamed Dioubate, Donovan Dent and Michael Ruzic.
- Additional players on the bench included Skyy Clark, Luke Stansbury and freshmen Jordan Bender, Brad Fife and Strake Pearson.
Dent and Clark arrive with unique eligibility backgrounds: both were granted additional playing time through legal challenges to an NCAA age-based eligibility rule. Ruzic, a Croatian import, is making his NCAA debut after playing professionally in Europe.
Behind the secrecy: roster, paperwork and pending clearances
For months LSU’s public roster showed only transfers Austin Nunez, Abdi Bashir Jr., Mouhamed Dioubate and Divine Ugochukwu, despite the program saying it had been practicing with a fuller group of enrolled players on NIL or revenue-sharing arrangements. Wade had previously referenced other athletes but withheld a full list, citing unresolved eligibility matters.
On Thursday, Wade indicated that two additional players had been cleared but that the program was finalizing paperwork before listing them or using them in games. “We have another two that are cleared to play but we wanted to make sure all the paperwork was final before we did it,” he said, adding that the staff had no desire to run afoul of any governing body.
It remained unclear whether Wade was referring to players who were on the roster but did not see action against McNeese, or to athletes not yet officially listed. Other names that have circulated in reports include international prospects Saliou Niang and Brice Dessert, as well as Gilad Levy.
Legal battles still cloud one high-profile return
One particularly complicated eligibility issue involves RJ Luis Jr., a former St. John’s guard who left college basketball for the NBA in 2025 and signed pro contracts before seeking to return to the college game. Luis won a temporary injunction that allowed him to come back to LSU this offseason.
That legal victory has intersected with a broader dispute between LSU and the Southeastern Conference. The SEC moved to limit returns by athletes who had signed professional contracts after an unrelated situation involving football players and pursued litigation aimed at enforcing that rule against LSU. The conference’s action and the ensuing lawsuits remain active and could affect final roster decisions.
What comes next
Teams must submit their final rosters one day before their first regular-season game, a deadline that gives LSU more time to resolve outstanding eligibility and administrative issues. Wade expressed optimism about the program’s potential once the group is whole, using frank language to underscore his confidence.
“Aw, shit. We look good with the full group,” he said. “I mean, damn. We look like a team that could compete with just about anybody when we got the full group.”
