Will Wade mocked his own intelligence.

LSU’s coach said he was “the only one dumb enough” to play No. 14 Gonzaga (2-0) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Numerica Veterans Arena in Spokane, Washington.

“They tried to get everybody else, and we were the only ones dumb enough to sign up for it,” Wade said jokingly on Monday.

Even after three straight 40-point wins for the first time in program history, no one at LSU (3-0) is disillusioned about its excellence. At the end of Wade’s opening comments after its latest schllacking of Louisiana Tech, he said his team has to be much better since it’s leaving the “kiddie pool with our floaties on and going into the deep end.”

LSU starting shooting guard Skyy Clark mentioned preparing for Saturday’s game in his first postgame response when asked about the defense that forced 23 Louisiana Tech turnovers.

The Gonzaga contest will be among the most difficult games on LSU’s entire schedule. It’s also the first true measure of how seriously the Tigers should be nationally regarded after four straight seasons of missing the NCAA Tournament.

LSU’s brand of basketball involves making opponents uncomfortable. It wants to dictate terms defensively with its full-court press that will create live-ball turnovers for free layups or delay the opposing offense from entering its set. The team’s most recent defensive showing exuded the aggression Wade wants to see throughout the season.

The Tigers will be challenged to impose their will in this regard. Gonzaga is eighth in the country in turnovers per game (8.0). LSU’s backcourt of Donovan Dent and Clark, and small forward Saliou, will be tasked with pressuring the Bulldogs' ball handlers.

LSU’s entire eight-player rotation will have to be connected to disrupt one of the top-10 teams in offensive efficiency. Gonzaga is led by 6-7 wing Davis Fogle and 6-10 forward Braden Huff, who are averaging 22 and 15 points, respectively.

Wade is familiar with the potency of a Mark Few-coached offense after losing 86-65 to Gonzaga in the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the coach of McNeese State.

“We're going to have to keep defending at a high level,” Wade said. “We got to keep the ball out of the paint. We got to keep them out of transition. You know, they play at one of the fastest rates in the country, his teams always have. Try to pound that thing in the paint. I mean, they're a sight to behold when you play them. We played them in the NCAA tournament when I was at McNeese, and, I mean, the tape doesn't do justice to their transition offense and just how physical their bigs are. So it'll be a monumental challenge for us just the way they build their team. They've got a great shooter with Fogle. They've got a really good team. Their pieces and parts fit really, really well.”

As impressed as Wade is with Gonzaga, Few spoke highly of Wade and LSU.

"I'm telling you he's got a heck of a roster now," Few said on Saturday. "Might not be as talented as Duke, but it's probably the second most talented roster in college basketball with who they have. I don't think everybody knows the level of play the kids they got from the international ranks. They're something, and obviously having Donovan Dent and some of the other guys. It's going to be a heck of a challenge."

Wade still wants his team to be more precise in fundamental aspects such as screening and cutting. It’ll also help if LSU makes better than 27% of its 3-pointers so it can keep up with Gonzaga, which is sixth in the country at 47.5%.

LSU players are not taking this matchup lightly. Abdi Bashir, who is second in scoring with 14 points, said his team needs to play “40 minutes of perfect basketball.”

Clark, who lost to the Bulldogs by 10 points while at UCLA with Dent, complimented Gonzaga and explained that LSU has to continue doing what it has shown through three games. He also said players must remain even-keeled.

Wade ended his last appearance with reporters with the full context of this early-season test.

“We've been dilly-dallying around with these cats the last three games, and we've done what we need to do,” he said. “But look, we're going to step up. Like I said, we're jumping in the deep end, so we'll see how we react. And then from there we've got some time to correct it, good, bad, or ugly. We've got some time to correct it, and some time to get better. So look, a lot of talking. We got to be about action. We'll see how we look up there on Saturday.”