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Will Wade Has a Major Concern Despite LSU Basketball’s Perfect Start

LSU men's basketball's head coach does not want his Tigers to get too comfortable.

Tigers Head Coach Will Wade, LSU Tigers Mens basketball take on LSU New Orleans Privateers. November 3, 2026; Baton Rouge, LA; at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Will Wade's first season in his second stint as the LSU Tigers men's basketball head coach is off to a winning start.

The Tigers are 2-0 through the start of the 2026 season, winning by an average of 42 points against the LSU New Orleans Privateers and Texas Southern Tigers.

Despite the large margins of victory, Wade told reporters on Friday that he does not want his team to get too comfortable with winning big.

Wade believes shooting percentage is unsustainable

Brice Dessert 13, LSU Tigers Mens basketball take on LSU New Orleans Privateers. November 3, 2026; Baton Rouge, LA; at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Following the Tigers' game against Texas Southern, Wade voiced his concerns about his team's inability to score from behind the 3-point line in their first two games. LSU went 7-for-28 against LSU New Orleans and 5-for-22 against Texas Southern. The two marks combine for a dismal 24% 3-point average for the Tigers.

These marks come despite Wade recruiting shooters such as fifth-year senior Skyy Clark, senior Abdi Bashir Jr., junior Saliou Niang, freshman Michael Ruzic and senior Donovan Dent. Clark, who had a career-high 42.7 3-point percentage in the 2025-2026 season with UCLA, has been unable to drain a 3-pointer for the Tigers this season.

"It's not sustainable how we're playing," Wade said.

Wade also emphasized his team's struggles from the free-throw line. The Tigers went 15-for-25 at the line against Texas Southern, including a 0-for-4 mark from senior Mouhamed Dioubate.

"We could never get going in the first half," Wade said. "'Cause you get an offensive rebound, you get fouled, and you go miss two free throws—it's like a turnover."

The Tigers' offensive bright spot has come from their productivity inside the 3-point line. LSU averages 51.5 rebounds per game, compared to opponents' 33.5 rebounds per game. Wade's team has also been effective in the paint, averaging 61 points in the paint per game compared to opponents' 16 points in the paint per game.

Despite these numbers, Wade felt that his team needed to better their effort rather than their execution.

"Look. We can clean up the details, but our effort certainly needed to improve," Wade said.

The tension between impressive results and underlying offensive weaknesses is something Wade's team needs to balance against Louisiana Tech on Monday. The game against Louisiana Tech serves as the Tigers' final opportunity to develop their offensive prowess before they face No. 15 Gonzaga, who is holding opponents to a 25.7% mark from behind the 3-point line.

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