LSU coach Will Wade's roster gamble pays off after win at No. 13 Gonzaga

People can call LSU Tigers coach Will Wade a lot of things, some of them not very nice. But one thing you can't refer to him as is an idiot.

"What we're doing is unconventional," Wade, who was once fired by LSU over a recruiting scandal, said in September when his roster sat at four, with several players in limbo over eligibility concerns. It may not work. If it doesn't, write about what an idiot I am."

Well, four games into the 2026-27 season, and Wade is looking like a genius, particularly after LSU's statement 81-80 road win at the No. 13 Gonzaga Bulldogs (2-1).

Will Wade, LSU Tigers score major win over at Gonzaga

Following three scheduled cupcakes against New Orleans, Texas Southern and Louisiana Tech, Saturday's game, played about 1.5 miles from Gonzaga's McCarthey Athletic Center at the Spokane Arena, marked the first real test for Wade's Tigers, who feature a healthy mix of fifth-year seniors and former international pros — but not former NBA draft pick RJ Luis Jr. after much protest from the SEC.

LSU (4-0) passed with flying colors, storming back from a double-digit second-half deficit in a hostile environment for an early signature win. The Tigers trailed by as many as 13 and ended the game on a 24-12 extended run over the final seven minutes and 22 seconds.

Former UCLA guard Donovan Dent, one of those fifth-year seniors, led all players in points (23) and assists (10) and hit the game-winning three off the dribble with 1.5 seconds left. He also beat the first-half buzzer with his first three to give LSU a 39-37 halftime lead.