LSU Basketball Targets National Title With New International Core
Coach Will Wade enters the 2026-27 season with a roster featuring Donovan Dent and two unproven international big men.
By Alessia Desai ·
LSU basketball opens its 2026-27 season against LSU New Orleans at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Coach Will Wade aims for a national championship this year, a goal he has stated since returning to Baton Rouge. The program has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2022, but internal confidence suggests the team will outperform its 14th-place projection in the SEC preseason poll. All players are eligible for the opener except Gilad Levy.
The roster features Donovan Dent, a 6-foot-2 point guard who appears on the 2027 Bob Cousy Award watch list. Dent averaged 13.3 points and 7.6 assists per game at UCLA last season. In three exhibition games this fall, he averaged 19 points and seven assists. He made the go-ahead basket in an 85-81 win over Central Florida and was one rebound shy of a triple-double.
The starting center position remains undecided between two international players: 20-year-old Michael Ruzic and 23-year-old Brice Dessert. Ruzic, a 7-foot, 235-pound player, added 15 pounds and showed improved rebounding and defense in preseason. Dessert, a 7-foot, 255-pound player, offers greater physicality and pro experience. Wade started Dessert against Florida State due to matchup advantages against Marcis Ponder.
Saliou Niang and Brice Dessert played their first college games in an 89-87 loss to Florida State. Niang recorded five points on 2-of-3 shooting and seven rebounds in 24 minutes. Dessert scored four points on 2-of-2 shooting, grabbed two rebounds, and committed three turnovers in 16 minutes. Kentucky transfer Mo Dioubate noted that his teammates need time to adjust to the pace of the college game.
Shooting depth beyond the backcourt presents an open question. Skyy Clark made 7-of-12 three-pointers for 21 points against Florida State. Abid Bashi hit 6-of-12 threes for 26 points in the win over UCF. Both guards are expected to shoot at least 40% from deep. Ruzic shot 29.1% from three-point range in 47 professional games last season. The team made 45 of 76 free throws, a 59.2% success rate, in three exhibitions.
Wade has not confirmed if the team is ready for a title run this year, but he said the roster projects well for high-level play. The Tigers will test that projection against the Pelicans on Tuesday night.
