When LSU re-hired Will Wade in March, it felt like a homecoming with a twist. Wade, who led the Tigers from 2017 to 2022 before being fired amid an NCAA recruiting scandal, returned after a brief but impressive stint at North Carolina State—where he took the Wolfpack to the NCAA tournament's First Four. But this time around, the recruiting magic that defined his first LSU tenure hasn't sparked immediately.
As of now, LSU's roster is nearly bare, with just one player committed: Kentucky transfer Mo Dioubate. The transfer portal slammed shut on April 21, and most of the high-impact names have already found new homes. While some talent remains available, the pickings at the Power 4 level are slim. Wade isn't panicking—he's pivoting.
"This year I'm going to lean a little heavier on the international route," Wade revealed on Jon Rothstein's Eye on College Basketball podcast. "This will be the last year some of those guys will be eligible. So we're going to lean a little heavier on the international route. Those kids have a lot of experience. There's just some natural things that they've learned over there that really help college basketball and can translate to us in college basketball."
Wade's strategy is clear: blend the best available transfer portal talent with seasoned international players. And he's already putting that plan into motion. On Wednesday, LSU reportedly landed a commitment from Brazilian forward Marcio Santos, a 2023 NBA draft snub who spent last season with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Euroleague. Santos chose LSU over Kentucky, despite Wildcats coach Mark Pope traveling to Israel to meet with him—a major win for Wade's new approach.
This blueprint isn't entirely new. In March, Illinois made its first Final Four in over two decades with a core of southeastern European players, affectionately dubbed the "Balkan Five." Four of them are represented by Miško Ražnatović, the agent of Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. Ražnatović previously told Front Office Sports that more schools will follow Illinois' lead. Wade seems determined to be next in line, proving that sometimes the best path forward is a global one.