LSU's roster has been absolutely gutted following firing of Will Wade

Will Wade was fired as the head basketball coach at LSU on March 12. Since then, the program has seen its roster absolutely gutted, losing every scholarship player on the team from 2021-22.

In the last week alone, LSU has seen Xavier Pinson, Brandon Murray, Shareef O’Neal, Adam Miller, Jerrell Colbert, Justice Williams, Bradley Ezewiro, Efton Reid, Eric Gaines, Mwani Wilkinson and Alex Fudge all hit the portal. 11 players in nine days, all exploring their transfer options.

Elsewhere, the Tigers have also lost two players to the NBA Draft, with Tari Eason and Darius Days — the team’s two leading scorers — both announcing their intention to sign agents and forgo the remainder of their college eligibility. Eason led the team with 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest this season, while Days added 13.7 points , 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

The future isn’t looking too bright, either, as LSU has lost all four players committed to the program in 2022 and 2023. Five-star center Yohan Traore backed away from his pledge and later committed to Auburn, with five-star Julian Phillips and four-star Devin Ree also decommitting and exploring their options in the senior class. Five-star junior Marvel Allen, who committed to LSU in January, parted ways with the program on March 19.

Wade will be leaving behind a bare cupboard and seven Level I violations with the NCAA — five by the former head coach alone. In the school’s notice of allegations released earlier this month, Wade was charged with offering impermissible recruiting inducements in the form of cash payments and job offers, obstructing an investigation by concealing evidence and unethical conduct. The NCAA also claimed Wade’s violations were “premeditated, deliberate, or committed after substantial planning.”

In short, Wade’s actions have led to a mess in Baton Rouge, one former Murray State head coach Matt McMahon will be forced clean up. McMahon was hired as LSU’s head coach on March 21 after leading the Racers to a 154-67 overall record in seven seasons, including a 31-3 mark this season.

“It was essential for us to hire a coach with a winning standard of performance, as well as the consistency and character to elevate our men’s basketball program to new heights,” LSU Director of Athletics Scott Woodward said. “Matt is exactly what we were looking for. His vision for our program and his values as a leader align perfectly with ours as an institution, and he has a proven track record of identifying talent, developing student-athletes, and building championship basketball programs.”

McMahon’s first steps as head coach? Bringing in two of his former guards at Murray State in Justice Hill and Trae Hannibal. Northwestern State forward Kendal Coleman will also transfer to LSU, giving the Tigers three additions in the portal. Three-star senior center Corneilous Williams also committed to LSU on Thursday to give the program four total players on next year’s roster.

Still not enough to form a starting lineup, let alone to fill a complete roster, and Will Wade is to blame for that.

Things are only going to get worse before they get better for the Tigers.