After a complete offseason rebuild, LSU basketball has its roster for the 2026-27 season.

Coach Will Wade and his staff took an abnormal route to find a new group of players to rep purple and gold. Most of the roster is comprised of international players and fifth-year seniors exhausting their college ball eligibility. While there is a lot of basketball experience, there’s a new face in every corner of the Tigers’ locker room.

With so many new faces, having experience, reliability and size in the paint is key, especially at the five position. The Tigers have four centers all 7-foot or taller on the roster this season. Wade and his staff will turn to a veteran overseas threat in France-born Brice Dessert to potentially round out their starting lineup this season. Here are three things to know about the Tigers' fifth-year senior center:

A dunking machine

Listed at 7-foot and 255 pounds with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Dessert is almost always a dunking threat when he’s on the floor. The big fella never hesistants to slam it down as a big time rim-finihser. In the 2025-26 Euroleague season playing for the Basketbol Super Ligi, he averaged nearly nine points per game along with 3.3 rebounds.

Dessert can punish defenses with dunks or soft finishes at the basket as well, making a living in the paint every chance he gets. Fans got to see a sample size of what he’s capable of during the Tigers’ final exhibition game against Florida State on Oct. 24. He finished with four points and two rebounds while shooting 2-for-2 from the field.

Former teammate of the “Alien”

Since Dessert was 15 years old, he has played for the French national team, competing in various youth sport categories from U15 growth and onward. Throughout his playing days, he played alongside San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. Dessert secured silver at the FIBA U19 World Cup 2021 alongside the 2023 No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick.

That silver medal marked the second of Dessert’s career as he won silver at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019. Following his extensive overseas career, the 23-year-old went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Brice Dessert comes from a basketball family

Some could say basketball is in Dessert’s blood as both of his parents played basketball growing up. Dessert’s father, Christian Dessert, used to play professional basketball and is the current president of the Francophone Association of Basketball Coaches.

His mother, Karima Dessert, was also a competitive basketball player. Dessert’s parents played a key role in him picking up the sport from a young age.