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LSU Tigers Massively Improve Roster With Latest Transfer Portal Addition
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- LSU Tigers Massively Improve Roster With Latest Transfer Portal Addition
(Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
The LSU Tigers have only publicly announced four players for Will Wade's first season. Each addition they make is a big one, but the latest reported move could be massive if it goes through.
College Basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported on Wednesday night that former UCLA Bruins point guard Skyy Clark has committed to the Tigers. Clark is still seeking a waiver for a fifth year of eligibility, so the courts could still stop it.
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The claim on the fifth year is focused on his freshman season with the Illinois Fighting Illini . His season was cut short after 13 games, as he stepped away from the program for personal reasons. He transferred to the Louisville Cardinals the following year.
Unlike some players seeking that extra season, he hasn't signed any NBA deals, so he could be a more realistic option in a world of more forced relaxation around eligibility rules. No matter what, with Clark's commitment on the books, LSU will do everything they can to make sure he suits up in Baton Rouge next season.
Clark is exactly the player this hodgepodge roster will need. He is a point guard with tournament experience and 97 starts under his belt. This team is almost all veteran player, but they didn't have someone with a lot of time as a starting point guard.
Had Clark not committed, and if he doesn't come through, their starter would likely be Divine Ugochukwu. Ugochukwu is a junior transfer from the Michigan State Spartans who has spent two years as a role player for the Spartans and the Miami Hurricanes. While he is a talented player who could likely survive in a bigger role, he's never averaged more than 5.3 points a game.
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Clark averaged 11.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game on 46.9/42.7/82.1 shooting splits last year. He also had 13.2 points and 3.0 assists per game as a sophomore, but with worse efficiencies.
That three-point shooting is very exciting, given the shooting that this roster already has from players like Adbi Bashir and some of their potential overseas additions.
A point guard group of Clark, Ugochukwu and Austin Nunez is a fantastic look for this team. It's not just good for a first year built out of the transfer portal, but most schools around the country would like to have that group. It'll still be a very new unit once the season comes around, so hopefully they are able to gel fast.
