LSU basketball coach Will Wade and several important players missed SEC Media Day in Birmingham on Tuesday after a fog-induced ground stop in Baton Rouge prevented their travel. Wade, Kansas State transfer Abdi Bashir Jr., and Kentucky transfer Mouhamed Dioubate were absent from the event, the Southeastern Conference announced, citing inclement weather as the cause. LSU women’s coach Kim Mulkey and three players from the women’s team also did not attend.
Wade had been scheduled to speak second at the gathering, following Auburn’s Steven Pearl and players Kevin Overton and Tahaad Pettiford. The LSU women’s contingent, including Mulkey and players MiLaysia Fulwiley, ZaKiyah Johnson, and Mikaylah Williams, were also expected to appear but were unable to make the trip. The SEC confirmed that both LSU men’s and women’s basketball programs would participate remotely on SEC Network at 10:50 a.m. and 9:50 a.m., respectively.
The Tigers enter the new season under Wade with an unconventional roster that has drawn attention. LSU was picked 14th in the SEC preseason poll released on Monday, with only Mississippi State and South Carolina ranked lower. The program is still adjusting after firing Matt McMahon, who spent four seasons with the team and led them to a 3-15 conference record last season. Wade has been navigating a complex offseason marked by player eligibility questions and roster shifts.
Last week’s exhibition game against McNeese illustrated the challenges ahead, as LSU secured a narrow 63-60 victory despite dressing just seven players. For a time, only four players appeared on the active roster before it was updated to include 10. Recent additions include UCLA transfer Donovan Dent, international big man Michael Ružić, and freshman Jordan Bender. Several other notable recruits remain unlisted on the official roster, such as former Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr., UCLA transfer Skyy Clark, and international players Gilad Levy, Brice Dessert, and Saliou Niang.
Wade addressed the unusual nature of his roster during a media appearance last month, describing the approach as “unconventional.” He said, “What we’re doing is unconventional. I understand that. But, 20 years ago, Airbnb was unconventional. Everybody stayed in a hotel. Fifteen years ago, you rode in a taxi everywhere. Now you take Uber. So, like, just because it’s unconventional doesn’t mean it’s not going to work. Now, it may not work. If it doesn’t work, write about what an idiot I am. I understand that. But just because it’s unconventional, like I told our guys, we’re going to be unconventional. We’re going to be unapologetic about it. It is what it is. We’re going to be unapologetic. This is who we are. This is what we’re doing. This is the path that we charted. We’re going to go down it.”
LSU has two scrimmages remaining before the season opener: Wednesday against UCF and October 24 against Florida State. The Tigers will start their 2026-27 campaign at home on November 3 against New Orleans. The fog that disrupted travel to SEC Media Day on Tuesday added another layer of uncertainty to a program already navigating a season of transition.
According to CBS.
