Why LSU's expensive pursuit of Yam Madar, RJ Luis is a troubling sign for the Will Wade rebuild
The Tigers coach is going to untraditional lengths to try and fill out the 2026-27 LSU roster
The sense of desperation surrounding Will Wade's attempt to build a competitive 2026-27 roster at LSU is coming into focus amid his pursuit of older players with questionable eligibility credentials.
First came a report from an Israeli publication that the Tigers are ready to offer 25-year-old guard Yam Madar a salary estimated at $5 million. Then came Tuesday's news that the Tigers signed former St. John's star RJ Luis Jr. a year after he elected to remain in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Though Luis went unselected, he signed a two-way contract with the Jazz before being traded to Boston and subsequently waived. The former 2025 Big East Player of the Year never appeared in an NBA game, but his pathway to NCAA eligibility is tenuous at best.
LSU will likely argue that the 2026-27 season marks Luis' fifth in a five-year window. But the Tigers' case will mirror that of former Alabama center Charles Bediako, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after returning from a multi-year G League stint to play for the Crimson Tide this past season.
Friendly court rulings briefly allowed Bediako to return to an Alabama uniform and see the court before the Alabama Supreme Court denied his request in February to continue playing. Luis would likely need significant and lasting judicial intervention to play for LSU.
Madar is a former second-round draft pick of the Boston Celtics in 2020. He is a high-end role player for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the EuroLeague and Israeli league. Given his advanced age -- Madar will turn 26 in December -- he would also face an uncertain path to collegiate eligibility.
LSU's roster situation
Examining what LSU has in the fold for the 2026-27 season, it's no wonder Wade is looking to stretch the rules in order to get talent into his program.
The Tigers are returning virtually no production from prior coach Matt McMahon's 2025-26 roster, they have zero freshmen signed, and they slow-played the portal cycle. A Monday commitment from former UTSA point guard Austin Nunez marked LSU's fourth portal pickup.
But it's only the No. 40 transfer class in the 247Sports Team Rankings. At a time when most high-major programs are putting the finishing touches on their rosters, the Tigers still have significant work to do.
A May commitment from 23-year-old Brazilian big man Marcio Santos of the Israeli league was the first fruits of Wade's attention on older international talent and those with questionable eligibility circumstances.
Madar's recruitment, Luis' signing and LSU's pursuit of 22-year-old Italian League wing Saliou Niang are signals that Wade intends to fill out the holes in his roster with pros. He is trying to round out his roster with players that other teams either stayed away from due to eligibility concerns or weren't willing to pay for.
At this point, he doesn't have much of a choice. Among the top 85 transfers in the 247Sports rankings, only three players are uncommitted, and each of them is exploring the NBA Draft. Those three -- Milan Momcilovic, Allen Graves and Tounde Yessoufou -- will be hotly pursued by a multitude of high-end college programs if they withdraw from the draft.
Yam Madar's eligibility
Even if he gains eligibility and winds up at LSU, an investment of that magnitude in a player of Madar's caliber is a telling indication of where things stand for the Tigers. In 16 Israeli League games, Madar is averaging 11.1 points and 3.9 assists while shooting 33.9% from 3-point range. Statistically, he fits the mold of a solid collegiate role player more than a $5 million man.
Then, there's the question of his eligibility. Madar has played professionally at the highest level of Israeli basketball or in top European leagues since the 2018-19 season. Though he served in the Israeli military, it's unclear whether that service would exempt him under a potential new NCAA eligibility rule.
The NCAA Division 1 Cabinet is expected to discuss a "five for five" eligibility proposal later this week that would allow players five years of eligibility beginning either with their high school graduation or 19th birthday.
Even with a potential exception for his service in the Israeli military, Madar's case for collegiate eligibility would likely be tenuous. He will turn 26 early during the 2026-27 college basketball season.
Tennessee guard Ethan Burg was classified as a 23-year-old sophomore for the 2025-26 season, having served two years in the Israeli military. If the same math applied to Madar, he could potentially be classified as a senior for LSU since he is 25.
