Will Wade, LSU earn national relevance with win over Gonzaga | LSU

As the basketball descended on Donovan Dent’s game-winning step-back 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left, 12,000 fans in the Washington arena held their breath.

The suspense of the jumper might have been more agonizing for LSU supporters, most of whom watched from back home in Louisiana. The results of this field goal against No. 14 Gonzaga, the Tigers’ first marquee opponent, would tell the national college basketball world who LSU is.

Is Will Wade’s ragtag squad of barely-eligible international players and fifth-year transfers who are depending on court rulings merely offseason fodder to ridicule? Or is LSU, which hasn’t sniffed an NCAA Tournament berth since Wade was fired four years ago, an unconventional team that is worthy of national relevance for on-court success in the 2026-27 season?

Dent, a fifth-year UCLA transfer who was once recruited by Gonzaga this past summer, gave everyone their answer after he drained the 3-pointer that delivered his team an 81-80 win on Saturday at Numerica Veterans Arena in Spokane, Washington. In the first-ever meeting with the Bulldogs, LSU (4-0) earned its first victory over a ranked foe since knocking off No. 17 Kentucky 75-74 in Baton Rouge on Feb. 21, 2024.

“Give our guys a ton of credit,” Wade said in the postgame news conference. “This guy (Dent) made a huge 3 at the end of the first half, and obviously at the end of the game, and we just made enough plays to win the game. So, just incredible win for us. Incredible win for our program as we try to get this thing back moving. So, just proud of our guys.”

Wade’s measured reaction came after his players drenched him with water minutes earlier following its silencing of fans with the Gonzaga (2-1) upset. In a behind-the-scenes clip posted by LSU’s social media account, Wade triumphantly uttered five words that haven’t been said truthfully since his departure: “The f****** Tigers are back.”

LSU passed its litmus test. It beat a talented team in a raucous environment, playing in an arena with twice the seating of Gonzaga’s home court on campus 1.5 miles away. Dent’s heroics cannot be undersold in the win.

Before the 6-foot-2 point guard’s game-winning 3-pointer, he masterfully balanced scoring with playmaking. His command of the offense kept the team alive as it trailed for 29 minutes overall and was down 13 points, its biggest deficit, with 8:11 left.

Dent had 23 points on 9-of-20 shooting, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, along with 10 assists and three turnovers. He pressured ball handlers consistently and moved with conviction as a team defender, hustling to swat a corner 3-pointer after bolting from the top of the key with about four minutes left.

LSU’s top sharpshooter Abdi Bashir drilled 5 of 8 from 3, with three coming in the final 5:20. Michael Ruzic didn’t play like a 20-year-old Croatian center still adapting to the American game. He used his 7-foot, 240-pound frame to gobble 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. Ruzic, who also had 12 points and two blocks, had a timely pair of offensive rebounds in one possession. It ended with him passing to Bashir for a 3-pointer that cut the Tigers’ deficit to six with 3:21 remaining.

LSU’s win is seismic. It gave the team credibility and likely guaranteed a spot on the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since the week of Jan. 31, 2022. The win in Washington also doesn’t quench the program’s thirst. Players and coaching staff expect to outplay a fair share of strong teams in the regular and postseason.

Wade cares more about fixing the weak spots that led to trailing as much as it did versus Gonzaga. LSU’s boomerang coach, however, is pleased with the win and revels in the fact there is plenty of room for improvement.

“Our guys battled hard, man,” Wade said. “It wasn’t pretty, and look, we’re not a finished product, and we’re not anywhere near as good as we’re going to be in a couple more weeks or a couple more months. But you know, we got some grit to us, which was good to see.”