What Will Wade Took from Razorbacks by Sinking LSU

The former Tigers' coach destroyed one program and may have messed up good rivalry for the Hogs

For the past several years, Razorback fans have had a great deal of fun reveling in their disdain for LSU basketball.

Afterall, Will Wade played the role of villain in perfect fashion.

Wade was the Ric Flair of college basketball. He was the dirtiest player in the game, appeared to always get away with it, and whether you liked it or not, he was really good at what he did.

But what is currently transpiring down at LSU will make it hard for the most hardened Hog fan to enjoy a win over LSU for the next couple of years.

The Tigers not only graduated Darius Days while losing Xavier Pinson, Brandon Murray and Shareef O'Neal to the transfer portal, but they had to release their entire 2022 recruiting class and lost their lone 2023 recruit, 5-star guard Marvel Allen.

Beyond that, with the likelihood of severe NCAA penalties looming overhead, it's going to be near impossible to fill the roster with quality talent.

Matt McMahon, the former Murray State coach who has inherited this raging firestorm of a disaster, has a much narrower potential talent pool.

His ideal recruit is going to be 4-stars who have been in a relationship with the same girl since 8th grade who has the grades to receive a full ride to LSU.

That's right. Double-recruiting for McMahon to land a single player.

Beyond that, McMahon will have to scrape around the transfer portal to see if anyone is okay with possibly not being able to compete in March Madness while taking advantage of the opportunity to show scouts what they can do against top caliber players.

Even if McMahon finds a way to return to the Tigers to their former glory, wins won't have quite the zing they had when Wade was at the helm.

Unfortunately for McMahon and the players he brings in, this situation was a willing choice the LSU administration made. It could have and should have easily been avoided, or at least be three years behind them.

In the end, Wade has exacted his greatest revenge on the Razorbacks — stealing a basketball rivalry that was really starting to take off.

And that might be his most egregious act in what is a long line of egregious actions.

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