LSU basketball recruiting is a mess. Where does it go from here?

LSU’s recruiting is in a really bad spot, and it might get worse before it gets better.

With the season now in the rearview mirror, LSU basketball enters a period of uncertainty. There’s not much anybody knows about where this program is headed, if anything at all.

Coaching changes always bring turnover and turmoil, but this one feels different. The way the Wade era ended paired together with looming NCAA sanctions has created an atmosphere of chaos.

LSU might have a hard time getting a coach to sign on, even if a loaded contract offer is put in front of them. The program could have even more trouble getting recruits. This is going to be a ground-up rebuild, even if the sanctions from the NCAA are mild.

Before the firing of Wade, LSU’s recruiting was in a great spot, maybe as good as it’s ever been. There were multiple five-stars poised to join the program, but now LSU has just one commit left in Yohan Traore, and Tigers fans shouldn’t hold their breath on that one either.

A couple of guys who have backed off their pledge have noted that Wade was the reason they wanted to come to Baton Rouge. Even if there wasn’t the drama with the NCAA, LSU was going to have a hard time holding this class together.

It might get worse before it gets better, so let’s look at who the Tigers have lost and where they can go from here.

Will Wade Fallout: Five-star point guard decommits from LSU

More bad news for LSU as five-star point guard decommits from the program.

As expected, there is more LSU fallout after the Will Wade firing and first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament.

On Saturday, 2023 five-star point guard commit Marvel Allen announced that he would reopen his recruitment and decommit from the Tigers.

“I committed to LSU because of my relationship with Coach Wade and Nickelberry,” Allen tweeted. “Thank you to the rest of the LSU coaching staff and the fans for th support they showed me throuout my time I was committed.

“(I) wasn’t expecting to come to this but I will be decommitting from LSU and reopening my recruitment to all programs. I’m looking forward to finding my new home.”

The five-star point guard was ranked as the No. 4 point guard and No. 18 overall recruit in the 2023 recruiting class according to 247Sports composite rankings. Prior to committing to Will Wade and LSU, Allen was considering teams such as Alabama and Ohio State among others.

The mass exodus continues after five-star Julian Phillips recently requested to be released from his national letter of intent. The administration is currently searching for their next head coach and have just one commit remaining in the 2022 cycle with five-star center Yahan Traore.

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5-star LSU basketball signee released from letter of intent, decommits

The Tigers have now seen two signees back off their pledge since firing Will Wade.

LSU has lost yet another 2022 signee in the wake of coach Will Wade’s firing.

On Saturday, five-star Branson (Missouri) Link Academy prospect Julian Phillips announced that he had been released from his letter of intent by the NCAA and would be decommitting from the program. The 6-foot-8-inch, 200-pound power forward is listed as the No. 12 player in his recruiting class.

“Due to the recent changes within the staff, I have been granted my release from the university and will be re-opening my recruitment,” Phillips said in a post on Twitter. “I look forward to the journey of finding a new home.”

Phillips is the second recruit LSU has lost from its 2022 class since the news came down last Saturday that Wade would be dismissed. That decision came shortly after the program received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA that charged Wade with several Level I violations.

Four-star forward Devin Ree, who had also signed his letter of intent, decommitted from the team earlier this week. That leaves the Tigers with just one player currently committed in the 2022 class: five-star center Yohan Traore.

Traore gave LSU his pledge on Jan. 30, and he’s sticking to it as of now. However, he could still look to join Ree and Phillips in the coming days. As things currently stand, the Tigers have the No. 66 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports.

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LSU basketball signee decommits in the wake of Will Wade firing

Devin Ree become the first LSU player to back off their pledge after Wade’s firing.

Attrition in recruiting is sure to follow any coaching change, an the ongoing situation at LSU is no different. After the program fired basketball coach Will Wade on Saturday, it lost the pledge of one of its three commitments in the 2022 recruiting class.

Four-star forward Devin Ree, who signed his letter of intent in November, announced late Sunday night that he has decommitted from the Tigers in the wake of the uncertainty surrounding the coaching situation. Wade was fired in the wake of a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA that cited him with multiple Level I violations, alongside associate head coach Bill Armstrong.

Interim coach Kevin Nickelberry will coach LSU in the NCAA Tournament, where it faces Iowa State in the first round on Friday night in Milwaukee.

Ree is the No. 82 recruit in the country, per the 247Sports Composite. The Terry (Mississippi) prospect averaged 23.2 points and 12 rebounds during his junior season in 2020, and he’s been pledged to LSU since December 2020.

With Ree out, LSU is left with one signee and one hard commit in the 2020 class. Five-star power forward Julian Phillips — the No. 12 player in the country — has signed his NLI, while five-star center Yohan Traore is unsigned but remains committed.

Still, with the news, both (as well as lone 2023 commit Marvel Allen) could look to head elsewhere. The Tigers could also be in danger of losing several players to the transfer portal.

It’s a lot for fans to wrap their heads around as this team looks to make a run in March Madness this week with an interim coach at the helm.

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LSU lands five-star commitment from Yohan Traore

Another big-time addition to Will Wade’s 2022 class.

It didn’t go well on the court for the LSU Tigers in the SEC/Big 12 challenge when they faced off with the TCU Horned Frogs. However, Will Wade received some good news on Sunday. Five-Star center Yohan Traore committed to playing for the Tigers in 2022.

Traore was down to several schools with Kansas, Michigan, Memphis, and Texas Tech all in the mix. Ultimately he opted to play down on the Bayou for Will Wade. This would give the Bayou Bengals a solid one-two punch down low with fellow five-star Efton Reid. That is provided that Reid sticks around for another season in Baton Rouge.

Traore is a menace in the paint and a true rim protector. It isn’t uncommon to see him launch a blocked shot into the seats. With the addition of Traore, LSU has the No. 11 ranked recruiting class for 2022. He joins four-star small forward Terry Ree and McDonald’s All-American and five-star signee Julian Phillips.

This gives LSU two of the top 15 recruits in the nation. Phillips plays power forward and Traore can play either the four or five spot on the floor. Plenty of frontcourt talent is coming to the PMAC.

Yohan Traore’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 5 19 1 5
Rivals 5 4 1
ESPN 4 36 2 10
On3 Recruiting 5 10 1 2
247 Composite 5 15 1 4

Vitals

Hometown Glendale, Arizona
Projected Position Center
Height 6-10
Weight 225

Recruitment

  • Offered on Jun. 21, 2021
  • Committed on Jan. 30, 2022

Offers

  • LSU
  • Gonzaga
  • Memphis
  • Michigan
  • Texas Tech

Twitter

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LSU lands 2023 five-star point guard Marvel Allen

Big time acquisition for Will Wade.

Another big win for LSU head basketball coach Will Wade on the recruiting trail. On Friday evening 2023 point guard Marvel Allen pledged to play for the Tigers.

Allen ranks as the No. 2 player in Florida and the No. 4 point guard in the country according to 247Sports composite rankings. He is among the 20 top-rated players in the nation. Allen is another player like Efton Reid who can come in and contribute immediately.

Allen is a scoring point guard that can contribute at all three levels. He shows off a variety of moves inside to finish at the rim. His size allows him to snag rebounds over small guards. Allen isn’t just an outside shorter either, he has a good mid-range shot as well. This allows him to attack defenses in a variety of ways.

On Friday night during the Vertical-Westtown basketball matchup on ESPN plus, Allen made his decision to play for Wade and the Tigers. He is also the first commitment of the 2023 cycle for Wade. That is a great starting point for the next recruiting cycle.

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LSU signs five-star forward in 2022 recruiting class

Will Wade signs a five-star prospect for the fifth-straight class.

Signing day was monumental for LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade as he signed five-star forward Julian Phillips on Wednesday. This makes the fifth-straight year that Coach Wade has signed a five-star prospect to play basketball on the Bayou.

Phillips was a highly sought-after prospect as the No. 1 player in the state of Missouri and the No. 2 forward in the country. His offer list included Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio State, Texas Tech, UCLA, and Wake Forest. He had no shortage of suitors.

Phillips will look to help Wade and the Tigers chase the elusive national championship for LSU. Their last title run came in the 1934-35 season. They were last a Final Four team in 2005-06 under then-head coach John Brady. Phillips will bring length and athleticism to the position.

The team also has a commitment from four-star forward Devin Ree of Mississippi.

Julian Phillips’ Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 5 19 1 2
Rivals 5 14 6
ESPN 5 14 1 5
On3 4 35 2 7
247 Composite 5 14 1 2

Vitals

Hometown Branson, Missouri
Projected Position Forward
Height 6-8
Weight 200

Recruitment

  • Offered on Jun. 15, 2020
  • Official Visit on Jun. 28, 2021
  • Committed on Oct. 8, 2021
  • Signed Letter of Intent on Nov. 10, 2021

Offers

  • LSU
  • Florida State
  • Tennessee
  • USC

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