LSU Basketball

LSU men's basketball head coach Will Wade was suspended by the school in March while it investigated potential recruiting violations. He missed both the SEC and NCAA tournaments, though he was reinstated in April after meeting with LSU and NCAA officials.

On Tuesday, Wade spoke about the situation and regrets he had over how he handled it, telling reporters he was ready to "start the process of rebuilding trust."

"As I've had time to reflect since I was out for 40 days or so—there were some mistakes that I made," he said, per Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com. "But ever since that, since I was able to sit down and talk to LSU and the NCAA, I was fully cooperative."

"I wish, looking back on things, we could have gotten into a room together a lot quicker than we did," he added. "That was my mistake. I respect LSU's decision based on that."

In March, ESPN and Yahoo Sports reported that federal prosecutors had a wiretap that they said had Wade talking over his frustration after making a "strong-ass offer" for 5-star recruit Javonte Smart but not finalizing it.

Former Arizona Wildcats assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson—who has since pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery in the federal investigation into college basketball recruiting—also claimed during the trial that Wade said he had a $300,000 deal for recruit Naz Reid lined up.

Wade denied those accusations. He was also asked if money had ever exchanged hands during a recruitment of a player, including Smart, but sidestepped the question.

"It's a good question," Wade said. "I can't get into the specifics of everything, like I was saying earlier. I can assure you in my meetings with LSU and the NCAA, I've addressed all the media reports and what was said and I was reinstated."

Without Wade, the Tigers were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament, though they did make the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tourney before losing to Michigan State, 80-63.

Wade, 36, has spent two seasons at LSU, going 43-20 and winning a regular-season title this year. In six total seasons as a college coach at Chattanooga, VCU and LSU, he's gone 134-65 and led his team to three NCAA tournament appearances. 

Trendon Watford, a 5-star power forward from Mountain Brook in Alabama, committed to the LSU Tigers on Monday.

Watford is ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Alabama, the No. 4 player nationally at his position and the No. 17 player overall in the Class of 2019, per 247Sports.  

The 17-year-old, who stands 6'9" and weighs 230 pounds, led his school to a state title during his junior season, averaging 23.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 blocked shots and 1.7 steals per game.

Watford also had the benefit of an older brother who played in the college game: Christian Watford played at Indiana from 2009-13 and also played in the NBA's G-League. 

"He's played at all three levels," the younger Watford said of his older brother, per Mike Miller of HoosierSportReport.com. "It's always great to get bits and pieces from his mind and his knowledge. He's been through every recruiting process, every meeting, every game."

As for the younger Watford, ESPN.com wrote in its scouting report that he is "a super-talented combo forward" who is "multi-skilled and can do a lot of things on the floor offensively. He has solid athletic ability but does not seem to have reached his athletic peak yet."

That scouting report added that Watford needs to improve on the defensive end, however, and the player himself also told Miller he wants to continue improving his motor and jump shot.

The combo forward is hardly a finished product, but his upside and potential are easy to see. LSU got a player who should provide an instant impact during his freshman season.

Watford is an enormous get for the Tigers, salvaging what was otherwise looking like a disappointing overall class. He'll join 3-star combo guard James Bishop and 3-star shooting guard Charles Manning in Baton Rouge, in the process making the Tigers a team worth watching next season in the SEC. 

LSU hasn't had the recruiting cycle of SEC rivals like Kentucky, Florida, Auburn or Alabama, but the addition of Watford is nonetheless huge.

LSU center Naz Reid is trying to clear the air on his past ahead of the 2019 NBA draft.

Reid flat out denied the allegation when he was asked Thursday whether he was paid $300,000 to go to LSU by head coach Will Wade.

"It didn’t happen," he said, per Jeff Goodman of Stadium. "There was no deal."

The accusation came from the recent trials into the corruption surrounding college basketball. Former Arizona assistant Emanuel "Book" Richardson was shown on video discussing the recruitment of Reid and said LSU had $300,000 in place for the center, per Matt Norlander of CBS Sports.

Wade had also discussed potentially getting Richardson a job on his staff.

"I said listen, s--t, give me half that and I'll make sure he goes there," Richardson said on the recording.

Richardson pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery in federal court.

Meanwhile, Wade was suspended indefinitely surrounding potential violations into the recruitment of Javonte Smart but was eventually reinstated.

Reid has declared for the NBA draft and will hope he can move past this incident and have a long career at the professional level. According to ESPN, he is the No. 48 prospect in the 2019 class.

LSU Tigers head basketball coach Will Wade agreed to multiple contract amendments as part of his April 14 reinstatement from an indefinite suspension.

On Wednesday, Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated reported Wade, who missed the 2019 NCAA tournament while the school investigated allegations of possible illegal benefits offered to recruits, agreed to waive 2018-19 performance bonuses and confirmed he won't file a lawsuit against the school if he's fired.

The 36-year-old Tennessee native will also accept a termination of his contract if any Level I or Level II NCAA violations are discovered by LSU or the NCAA infractions committee, per Dellenger.

"The amendment to Will Wade's contract represents a strong commitment by coach Wade to the integrity of the institution and to his continued cooperation in partnership with LSU," interim vice president for strategic communications Jason Droddy told SI. "We are pleased we were able to come to this agreement as we move forward in this process."

LSU originally suspended Wade on March 8, one day after Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports reported details of a wiretapped phone call between the Tigers coach and Christian Dawkins as part of the FBI's investigation into alleged corruption in college basketball.

Wade, who previously served as head coach of the Chattanooga Mocs and VCU Rams at the collegiate level, discussed a "strong-ass offer" he made to secure a prospect commitment. He talked about the involvement of a third party who may have been used as a financial intermediary, per Yahoo.

"The problem was, I know why he didn't take it now, it was [expletive] tilted toward the family a little bit," he said. "It was tilted toward taking care of the mom, taking care of the kid. Like it was tilted towards that. Now I know for a fact he didn't explain everything to the mom. I know now, he didn't get enough of the piece of the pie in the deal."

Tigers freshman guard Javonte Smart was held out of the lineup for one game as the school attempted to determine whether he was the prospect Wade discussed and whether he'd accepted any improper benefits. He was cleared of any wrongdoing and reinstated to the roster prior to the 2019 SEC tournament.

Smart declared for the 2019 NBA draft April 11.

Meanwhile, LSU athletic director Joe Alleva, who has since stepped down from that role and transitioned to the position of special assistant to the president for donor relations, said in the April 14 announcement of Wade's return the coach "answered all questions and denied any wrongdoing."

"Wade's explanations and clarifications offered during the meeting, absent actual evidence of misconduct, satisfy his contractual obligation to LSU," Alleva said.

Wade said he was "humbled and grateful" for the opportunity to remain with the Tigers.

LSU hired Scott Woodward, a Baton Rouge native who most recently served in the same position for the Texas A&M Aggies, to take over as its new athletic director. He signed a six-year, $7.95 million contract, per Brooks Kubena of The Advocate.

Wade owns a 43-20 record across two seasons with the Tigers. His contract runs through June 30, 2023.

LSU athletic director Joe Alleva is reportedly expected to resign as soon as Wednesday, a "high-ranking source within the LSU System" told Stephanie Riegel of BusinessReport.com.

According to that report, Alleva has been an "unpopular figure" at the school since failing to land Jimbo Fisher to coach the football team, instead sticking with Les Miles into the 2016 season.

He also "drew fan ire" when he suspended men's basketball coach Will Wade, who was alleged to have violated recruiting rules after a phone conversation was picked up by an FBI wiretap.

Wade was reinstated on Sunday.

Multiple reports suggested Alleva's departure was imminent:

Riegel additionally reported LSU plans to add a "nationally recognized leader in university athletics" in Alleva's place.

The handling of the Wade situation may have been the final straw for the athletic director. The men's basketball head coach was suspended after the school said he refused to meet with them about the FBI's investigation, with reports emerging that Wade had been caught on a wiretap discussing a player believed to be Javonte Smart.

But Wade met with LSU brass last week, and Alleva announced his reinstatement Sunday. 

The LSU Tigers reinstated Will Wade to his position as head coach of the basketball team on Sunday.

"Coach Wade met Friday with University and NCAA officials," LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said in a statement, per NOLA.com's Amie Just. "During those meetings, he answered all questions and denied any wrongdoing in connection with recently reported allegations of irregularities in college basketball recruiting."

On March 8, LSU announced it had suspended Wade indefinitely. The move came after Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel reported the FBI had obtained audio of a conversation between Wade and Christian Dawkins in which Wade allegedly addressed the pursuit of a prospective recruit.

A jury last October found Dawkins and two others guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud after the three conspired to funnel money to the families of recruits in order to get the recruits to Adidas-sponsored schools.

According to the Yahoo Sports report, Wade allegedly referenced "this Smart thing" in his conversation with Dawkins. Javonte Smart was the No. 35 player in the 2018 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and signed with the Tigers.

"Dude. I went to him with a [expletive] strong-ass offer about a month ago," Wade allegedly said to Dawkins, identifying an unknown third party in the recruiting process. "[Expletive] strong. The problem was, I know why he didn't take it now, it was [expletive] tilted toward the family a little bit. It was tilted toward taking care of the mom, taking care of the kid. Like it was tilted towards that."

Wade released a statement to NOLA.com in the wake of the report saying, "[The reports] do not begin to tell the full story."

Because of his suspension, Wade missed LSU's regular-season finale and the team's opening-round loss to Florida in the SEC tournament. The Tigers reached the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA tournament without him on the sideline. LSU's 28 wins were its most since 2000.

With LSU basketball head coach Will Wade's suspension extending now beyond the 2018-19 season, the two sides are reportedly ready to sit down and talk. 

Per Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger, Wade will meet with LSU and NCAA officials Friday.

Robert Munson, the university's senior associate athletic director, provided a statement to Dellenger, saying, "I can confirm there is a meeting scheduled tomorrow with Coach Wade, LSU officials and the NCAA within the parameters LSU first requested in early March. University officials have made clear their expectation for full cooperation and transparency in this first step in a process toward resolution."

The 36-year-old coach was suspended indefinitely March 8 after Wade declined to speak with officials about a 2017 FBI wiretap that caught him discussing "offers" with Christian Dawkins, a middleman in basketball recruiting who has since been sentenced to six months in prison.

Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports first reported on the scandal on March 7. The only player mentioned by name during the intercepted conversation was freshman guard Javonte Smart, but the context is vague, with Wade simply referring to "this Smart thing."

Smart was suspended for just one game against Vanderbilt on March 9. He was reinstated and cleared to play ahead of the SEC tournament following his full cooperation. Earlier on Thursday, the former top-50 recruit declared for the NBA draft through a lengthy post on Instagram. 

Wade reportedly has not been as forthcoming to this point, even though the "offers" he was discussing have not officially been dubbed as violating NCAA policy. However, Dellenger laid out the road to potential reconciliation:

"Just four weeks ago, the two sides seemed leagues apart. Wade even responded to a public ultimatum from the school—talk or remain suspended—by releasing a statement calling the university’s decision 'inappropriate,' but two recent developments may have been catalysts for a meeting.

"On Friday, federal prosecutors filed a motion asking a judge to prevent Wade from testifying at an upcoming bribery trial in the FBI’s investigation into the seedy underworld of college basketball. ... The other advancement in the case came in the form of an addition to Wade’s team of attorneys. Steven Thompson, a Chicago-based lawyer known for his work with coaches on NCAA matters, joined the group to lead the coach’s NCAA infractions counsel." 

Dellenger noted the specific details of Friday's meeting remain unclear. 

Without Wade, LSU forged ahead with interim coach Tony Benford. The Tigers' season ended with a loss to Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen.

LSU freshman guard Javonte Smart declared his intention to enter the 2019 NBA draft in an Instagram post Thursday (h/t Amie Just of NOLA.com):

Smart averaged 11.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his lone season with the Tigers, shooting 36.8 percent from the field and 31.1 percent on three-pointers.

Smart joins his LSU teammates Tremont Waters, Naz Reid and Skylar Mays in turning pro after the 2018-19 season.

Whether Smart gets drafted remains to be seen, however. Jeremy Woo of SI.com had him No. 66 on his big board in March, but ESPN.com and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic didn't have the Louisiana native among their respective top 100 players. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman didn't have Smart among his top 75 in March.

That's not a great sign for his draft prospects, though as Woo noted, he still has some translatable abilities. Woo noted that the 6'4, 200-pound guard "doesn't have a calling-card skill" but has "a strong build and has done a good job of getting into the paint. He's somewhat deceptive off the dribble and knows how to use his body to attack downhill. Smart may not be a good enough playmaker to run point full time, but he has shown plenty to warrant a flier."

Still, Smart didn't end the 2018-19 season on a high note, going scoreless in a Sweet 16 loss to Michigan State. He shot just 8-of-32 from the field in the NCAA tournament.

The possibility remains that Smart could return to LSU next season depends on how the draft process plays out, though as Just noted, there is an ongoing NCAA inquiry into whether Smart received impermissible benefits during now-suspended head coach Will Wade's recruitment process. 

Depending on those findings, he could be ineligible for next season, which perhaps prompted his decision to declare for the draft.

FBI agents visited Baton Rouge to investigate LSU Tigers men's basketball coach Will Wade's recruiting tactics after he was suspended indefinitely back on March 8, according to Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel. 

The FBI reportedly made it clear that it was focused on Wade as it looked to see if his recruiting tactics might signal an "expansion" in the college basketball scandal.

LSU suspended Wade after an FBI wiretap was released in which he reportedly appeared to be compensation for a recruit in 2017.

Forde, Thamel and Wetzel reported in March that a wiretap caught Wade discussing a "strong-ass offer" for an unidentified recruit with basketball middleman Christian Dawkins.

Wade did not comment specifically on the subject, but he did ask in a text to Amie Just of the Times-Picayune that people wait for the facts to come out before jumping to conclusions:

"Serving as the Head Basketball Coach at LSU has been the honor of my life. I love this university and all it stands for. From day one, I’ve been focused on building a winning program made up of excellent coaches and staff and a team of first-rate student athletes.

"I cannot comment at this time on various media reports, except to say that they do not begin to tell the full story. I understand the University had to take action before all the facts are in, but I would ask everyone to withhold their judgment until the record is complete.

"To my players and coaches, I support you 100%, and I will be with you in spirit as the season progresses. Your best response to this is to narrow your focus and make sure the last part of the season is the strongest part!"

After leading the Tigers to a 25-5 mark, Wade was forced to miss the remainder of the season. The team 3-2 without him, wrapping up the SEC regular-season title before making a run to the Sweet 16.

Forde and Thamel reported in February 2018 documents and bank records showed at least 20 Division I programs and more than 25 players were involved the college basketball corruption scandal. 

LSU Tigers sophomore Tremont Waters has decided to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2019 NBA draft.

Waters made his announcement in a statement on the team's official Twitter account, noting he will hire an agent:

Waters led the Tigers in scoring in both of his years on campus, averaging 15.9 points per game as a freshman and 15.3 as a sophomore. He shot 42.9 percent from the field this past season and 32.7 percent from the three-point line while adding 5.8 assists and 2.8 steals per game.

His performance in 2018-19 not only earned him a spot on the All-SEC first team but also an honorable mention for the All-America squads.

Prior to Waters' arrival, LSU was coming off a 10-win season. The Tigers saw their win total increase by eight-plus in each of his two seasons, reaching 28 this past season. Their 28 wins were their most since 1999-2000 and helped snap a three-year NCAA tournament drought. They also won their first SEC regular-season title since 2008-09.

Waters' time in Baton Rouge will always be remembered by the Tigers' run to the Sweet 16, which was highlighted by his dramatic game-winner against Maryland in the second round:

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Waters becomes the latest Tigers star to leave school early. Freshman Naz Reid declared for the draft on Wednesday.