Portal Profile: Yam Madar

By Hunt Palmer

The weird silence outside of the LSU basketball program feels like a quiet confidence inside.

I’m on the outside, so my skepticism remains, but if the roster is eligible, it’s undoubtedly strong. Will Wade has assembled significant size and length on the perimeter and in the post. He’s got shooters and defenders. The experience level is off the charts. Maybe literally.

Wade told the public this spring that his roster assembly would take all summer. He mentioned that come August the team would be assembled.

Some of that has happened. Some is in limbo. Some is to come.

The truly missing piece feels like a point guard, someone to handle the ball and initiate offense. Maybe Yam Madar is the answer. Before we get into the breakdown, we’re not even certain that Madar has an agreeement with LSU. Some European sites are reporting it. There are certainly hurdles to jump, and it may be all for naught. We do know that there is smoke around Madar and LSU, so we’ll proceed with this as sort of a “what if”.

WHAT WE KNOW

Madar is an Israeli guard with 6-foot-3 and 190-pound measurables. He’s 25-years-old and will turn 26 in December. That’s a veteran in European professional terms, and Madar’s six seasons of pro basketball confirm that.

He’s played for four EuroLeague teams and has 226 professional games under his belt according to Basketball Reference. His most recent stop has been in Tel Aviv where he’s played 26 games for Hapoel Tel Aviv.

He’s shooting 44 percent from the floor, 37 percent from deep and 85 percent from the free throw line. He’s an 86 percent foul shooter over his career which is impressive.

On Thursday, he dropped 41 points on 9-of-10 from three and 15-of-19 from the floor in the Israeli league. He’s averaging 13 points per game on the season.

The assist numbers have been up and down.  Over 18 games in the Turkish league in 2023-24, he averaged six per game. This year, he’s at an even four per contest. When he’s gotten extended minutes, he’s distributed the ball rather well.

We also know that Madar has served his mandatory Israeli military time which LSU is going to argue should alter his eligibility clock. He finished that service in 2021.

Prior to that he was the 47th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Celtics. Skylar Mays went three picks later. Madar did play in the NBA Summer League for the Celtics.

THE FIT

Madar, if eligible, would be the primary ball handler and playmaker on this roster. He’s an explosive athlete with quicks and real scoring ability. He’s not an above the rim finisher on drives, but he’s a creative one. He finishes from different angles and with both hands.

Madar uses a lot of high ball screens to get into the offense, but he’s more capable than anyone on the roster of breaking down a defender in isolation and getting into the painted area. RJ Luis is in that category, but Madar is quicker.

If he’s on the floor, Madar could make this whole thing work. LSU already has major size with Marcio Santos and Brice Dessert. Scoring wings like Abdi Bashir and RJ Luis are old and very proven. Saliou Niang and Mo Dioubate are capable off ball scorers who thrive in space, too. Shooting won’t be a problem with Bashir, Santos and Divine Ugochukwu out there.

Madar would make it all go. He’d be a 26-year-old seasoned pro out there with 19- and 20-year old college players.

His floor vision in the highlight packages is better than the statistics show. He has a great eye for outlet passes and shows the ability to pass on the attack as well as the obvious finishing ability. This three-point heater he’s on is the final piece to his offensive puzzle.

As far as defense goes, it’s hard to tell on highlight tapes. I feel comfortable with LSU’s wing defenders in Dioubate and Niang. Dessert is a rim protector. Madar has plenty of length, quickness and athleticism to defend. But it would be a question mark.

HUNT’S PROJECTION

Wade obviously knows some things we don’t, because based on the current rules in place, Madar’s time served and money earned professionally are going to make him tough to get eligible.

European pros have been coming over the last few years, but they haven’t been six years beyond their NBA draft pick. I just don’t think Madar is going to be deemed eligible to play.

If he and Luis are, somehow, look out for this team. It’s going to be absurdly old and really balanced. All Wade needed was a true attacking point guard. Ugochukwu is more of a scorer. So is Austin Nunez. Both can pass and spell the starter, but neither feels like a true distributor and creator like Madar would be. Of course, they’re three to four years younger.

This is certainly an exciting piece if it works out. I have my doubts, though.