Head coach Will Wade and the LSU Tigers are currently pushing the boundaries of college basketball and the overall eligibility rules set by the NCAA.
While other schools are primarily recruiting high school stars and young prospects, Wade has recruited several former NBA players to LSU, with one player that will turn 26 in December.
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Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden recently appeared on The Field of 68 and went on record saying that these recruiting tactics are bad for college basketball.
“When you’re bringing in 25, 26-year-olds that have first of all been drafted and have played professionally for an extended period of time — that’s not what college athletics is supposed to be,” Golden said.
“I know a lot of it has changed. The financial pieces are as important and influential as ever, but this is not what college basketball is supposed to be. This is not what it’s about. … We’re going to have to see if guys like this can get cleared or not. I don’t think they have a great chance, but you never know. Maybe Will knows more than us.”
The Tigers turned head this week when they reportedly reached a $5 million deal with EuroLeague point guard Yam Madar, who is 25 years old and was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2020, the same draft class as Anthony Edwards.
He has yet to be granted eligibility by the NCAA, but is expected to request it. Just a day later, LSU secured a commitment from 23-year-old G-League guard RJ Luis, who’s already been on two NBA rosters.
As of publication, seven out of the eight official LSU roster additions so far are at least 22 years old.
It’s looking more and more likely that this will be battled out in court, given the fact that Charles Bediako was ruled ineligible for the Alabama Crimson Tide last season. Bediako previously signed a two-way NBA contract and was hoping to make a return to college basketball.
This request was ultimately denied in court and the NCAA reiterated in a memo to teams earlier this month that it will not reinstate eligibility to anyone who has signed a two-way contract with a NBA franchise.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
