LSU Basketball loses out on top prospect

With Will Wade taking over LSU Basketball, major work was needed across the roster, and so far, they have done so. It’s nowhere near complete, but a good start. Still, even with talented “veterans” on the roster, high-end talent is available in the 2026 recruiting class for the season. If LSU is able to get one of those players, it could be extremely significant for Wade’s first year.

One of the players LSU was in the running for was PF Marcus Spears Jr., but that was for 2027. This name should be familiar to fans. Spears Jr.’s father, Marcus Spears, is the LSU football great, and Aiysha Spears (Spears Jr.’s mother) was a player for the LSU Women’s basketball program and was selected in the top 10 in the WNBA draft. Clearly, LSU runs deep in that family, which gave the school an interesting path towards securing the top prospect.

In the end, this did not happen, and recently, it was announced that Spears Jr. will be on his way to Texas after reclassifying for 2026.

If LSU had been able to get Spears Jr.’s signature for 2026, or even later, he would have been the second-highest-rated prospect in program history (since star ratings were introduced).

Now, after missing out on Spears Jr., LSU can either put its focus on convincing 2026 prospects to come to the school or put its energy into getting talent in for 2027. With older players the focus this season, prioritizing talent for 2027 could be the best move.