Will Wade can't stay out of the news cycle. The LSU Tigers men's basketball coach missed SEC Media Day on Tuesday because of inclement weather. Upon further review, dense fog was to blame for not traveling out of Baton Rouge.

While Wade's absence was caused by weather, the attention remains firmly on the challenges facing LSU as it prepares for the upcoming season. The most notable storyline is the Tigers, which have more coaches than players right now.

LSU is coming off a disappointing 2025-26 campaign under former coach Matt McMahon, who was fired after LSU finished 15-17 overall and just 3-15 in SEC play. Wade now faces the challenge of rebuilding the program and getting the roster ready for the start of the season. But will he be able to get fifteen players who are eligible and ready to play? LSU's roster situation has been a major talking point in recent weeks.

Until recently, the team did not have enough players to make a starting five. As of Tuesday morning, 10 players were listed on the roster. Right now, eligibility is still a concern. Wade has tried to recruit former NBA players who received court injunctions to play. But the SEC blocked his efforts to put those players on the Tigers' roster.

Last week, LSU defeated McNeese 63-60 in a preseason scrimmage despite having a limited number of available players. Also, the in-state opponent is one that the Tigers should crush by more than three points.

Wade recently acknowledged that additional players were expected to become eligible soon.

"Our guys were behind in the queue," Wade said via On3. He explained the delays surrounding player clearances. A couple of players could become available the following week. This all seems like a bad scenario waiting to happen for LSU.

Wade returns to Baton Rouge after coaching at McNeese from 2023 to 2025 and leading NC State to a 20-13 record last season. His second chance at LSU came with quite a bit of controversy. The previous tenure, from 2017 to 2022, produced a 105-51 record, one SEC regular-season championship and three NCAA Tournament appearances. He also left the program in turmoil after NCAA investigations.

Wade's opportunity to address the SEC is now on the back burner. But the bigger story remains whether he can quickly assemble a competitive roster and restore LSU basketball to competing at a national level. 

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