Will Wade's Roster Approach and Why It's Working

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Former NC State men's basketball head coach Will Wade — Mar 16, 2026; Dayton, OH, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade walks the court during a practice session ahead of the first four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Brooke Benedict

Sun, May 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC ·

3 min read

After being rehired this spring , Will Wade starts a new era of LSU men's basketball.

Starting from the absolute bottom. With an empty roster just a couple of weeks ago, Wade has already added some talent.

But not in the traditional way.

The Approach

Former NC State men's basketball coach Will Wade — Mar 11, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade during the first half against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Wade recently addressed the thin roster , explaining that the promised growth would be coming from overseas. He is highlighting the talent from international players, saying that those "kids have more experience."

So far, it's working. Mrcio Santos , the talented forward from Brazil, recently joined LSU's roster. Wade was right about the experience. The 24-year-old is coming to Baton Rouge from the Euroleague, with some NBA draft and summer league history.

But as promised, Wade isn't going to stop with Santos. The 6'8 power forward will be joined soon by more overseas talent, as Wade hinted that he and his recruiting staff are looking for a few more guys .

The international route that Wade is taking is not only filling out a roster to form a new team, but is taking the program to another level that could dominate.

Why It's Working

New LSU men's basketball head coach Will Wade — Mar 29, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers mens basketball head coach Will Wade looks on against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

International players add a lot of depth to a program. Not only are they taller, stronger and arrive at the NCAA with more talent, but they have already been reshaping programs.

In the recent Final Four, international talent helped Illinois, Michigan, and Arizona make a deep postseason run . With Michigan taking the national championship title home, Illinois was named the tallest team in the country, and Arizona the tallest in the Big 12.

Clearly, the foreign athletes are putting teams above average and helping them play deep into March, which is the only evidence needed for Wade to bring some to Baton Rouge.

For LSU, top-tier talent that isn't coming out of high school or transferring from another Division I university doesn't just fill out a roster, but grows it.

After news broke that Santos was gonna be the newest Tiger, Wade landed Kansas State transfer Abdi Bashir Jr. In his time with the Wildcats, the guard saw 10+ points in 14 out of 18 appearances before having a season-ending foot injury.

Bashir could have been eyeing the Tigers for a while and Santos added a bonus. Or he could have had no influence.

But moving forward, a team full of talent from the international market could influence more top-tier athletes to join the redirection that LSU basketball is headed.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/lsu as Will Wade's Roster Approach and Why It's Working .