Will Wade’s first season with LSU did not have a ton of promise. The LSU program was not much with Ben Simmons and it hasn’t been much since then, either. Maybe there is something brewing, though, and Wade has an eye for the recruiting circuit. This is evident in 5’11” freshman point guard Tremont Waters out of New Haven, Connecticut.

The four-star guard is very generously listed so close to six foot. In reality, this kid is lower to the ground, probably no taller 5’9″. This does not take away from any of his point guard abilities, though. His ball handling, shooting and finishing ability is unparalleled by anyone I’ve seen thus far this season.

His name was probably nearly unknown outside of LSU, but following his performance in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, that will not be the case any longer. The “Who” that has been a response to his name will be replaced with, “Oh man that little dude is sick!” In the three games of the tournament, he tallied 68 points, 6 boards, 11 assists and 6 steals. This kid can do everything, but his scoring ability is just absolutely unmatched.

As you would expect from a smaller guard, he is quick and quietly explosive. He has those subtle body motions to keep defenders completely off guard, which is horrifying considering the fact he can score from any inch of the floor. Here is a really great example of that shiftiness. He dribbles across the court, uses a crossover to get the defender off balance and then steps back to create more than enough space for him to get off his knock-down three point shot. That’s one of his ten made on the year, which he is hitting at a 53% clip.

Also, if you watch to the end of that clip, there is a great example of his court awareness, which is extraordinary considering his youth. He is entirely aware of where every player on the court is and enjoys dishing out the assist almost as much as he enjoys hitting the big shot. Below is a cut of just that steal and pass.

His ability in the open court is unmatched, as well. This play in transition is absolutely absurd. He spins through a triple team at the top of the key, kept his balance, got fouled and then finished with the English as he was falling to the ground. Do me a favor and pause this clip as he is releasing the ball because he is almost parallel to the ground.

These clips all came in LSU’s 77-75 upset victory over Michigan. He finished with 21 points in that game. After a down game against a really good Notre Dame team, he put up 39 against Marquette in a loss. If that wasn’t enough, he also had five steals. He has a nose for the ball and knows how to get into passing lanes. There was even a point in the tournament where Jay Bilas compared him to Isaiah Thomas, mostly because of the size similarity and finishing ability.

LSU really needs all of this play throughout the season considering their poor defensive play and general lack of competence on the court. Waters could make this team seem a lot better than they are and will be an electric player for the entirety of his college career.