In late 2024, Brandon Bass Jr. took an unofficial visit to LSU, connecting with the staff and getting to see where his father played and won SEC Player of the Year in 2005 before heading to the NBA. Now, in August of 2025, Bass Jr., has LSU as one of the finalists in his recruitment as he enters the final stages before his decision.
“When I went on the visit, I saw that they are good on the basketball side, and not just football,” Bass told On3 earlier this year. “They’re focusing on basketball. And with all the alumni they’ve had at the school, it could be a really good place to go. We have a great relationship. They call and we talk all the time. I feel like they have good, shifty guards with how they play.”
Sources have told the Bengal Tiger On3 that the entire LSU staff has played a role in his recruitment so far. We’ve also heard that an official visit date is hopefully set soon.
Bass Jr. has a final five of LSU, Purdue, UCF, Florida State, and Cincinnati, trimming his list over the weekend. The Tigers are the lone SEC school in contention for the top 100 player and Bass has talked about prioritizing being at a high-level program that is going to win games. Matt McMahon and his LSU program enter a pivotal time in his tenure as he looks to take the next step with this team and get to the tournament for the first time.
“When I go on those visits, I’m going to be looking for the best fit for me,” Bass said. “And winning is a big deal for me. I want to go to a good school that is going to contend for March Madness because I really want to win.”
So far, Bass has already taken his official visit to Purdue in March, but in the fall, he’s going to Florida State on Aug. 29, and is in the process of scheduling the visit to LSU, Florida State, and Cincinnati as well. Bass is the No. 76 player in the country on Rivals and the No. 11 player in Florida for the 2026 class.
LSU already has a commitment from Australian wing Marcus Vaughns, but looks for more backcourt help in this class with Bass as one of their top targets moving into the fall.
Over the summer, Bass Jr. solidified himself as a high-major talent on the Nike AAU circuit the past two years and also played well at the Team USA Junior National Mini Camp in 2024 among some of the top talent in the country. Rivals’ Jamie Shaw wrote this:
“4-star SG Brandon Bass (2026) showcased his confident scoring chops. He has a quick release, getting into his shot. Was inconsistent on defense and moving the ball, but ther were some electric moments scoring the ball.”
