LSU Basketball

The LSU Tigers' 2018-19 season ended in the Sweet 16 on March 29, but the biggest question surrounding the program is still without a resolution. 

However, according to Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated, the status of suspended head coach Will Wade could become clear soon as he and LSU "are working toward a meeting." 

Wade was suspended indefinitely by the university on March 8 after Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports reported an FBI wiretap caught Wade in conversation from 2017 about an "offer" to a recruit. The vagueness surrounding Wade's "offer" makes it unclear if he violated NCAA rules. 

Immediately following the news of Wade's suspension, fans caped up for the 36-year-old coach: 

Forde, Thamel and Wetzel reported Wade was on the phone with former Adidas consultant Christian Dawkins, who ESPN reported back on Oct. 9  to be charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office with three counts of wire fraud and one count of money-laundering conspiracy.

Dawkins was sentenced to six months in prison on March 5. 

Wade also talked separately to Dawkins about "this Smart thing," which presumably referred to Javonte Smart, a freshman guard for LSU. Smart was briefly suspended before being cleared to resume play ahead of the SEC tournament on March 15.  

One of three key differences between the fates of Smart and Wade in the aftermath is the fact that Smart cooperated with the NCAA while Wade has been standoffish, as LSU senior associate athletic director Robert Munson outlined to Amie Just of the Times-Picayune on March 15. 

A meeting between LSU and Wade was first scheduled for March 8, but Wade canceled because LSU didn't meet his attorney's demands to hold the meeting without an NCAA representative present and limit the scope of LSU's questions, per Dellenger.

Moreover: "Wade's refusal to speak in this joint investigation could be cited by the NCAA as unethical conduct and failure to cooperate, a damning sanction that could result in a show-cause penalty for the coach."

Wade took over as head coach for the Tigers in 2017. This season was the Tigers' best since 2008-09, as LSU won the regular-season SEC title. Under Wade, the team went 25-5 before Tony Benford took over and led them the rest of the way. 

LSU freshman forward Naz Reid, who averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds during his lone collegiate season, has announced his intention to enter the 2019 NBA draft.  

Reid revealed his future plans via an Instagram post (h/t Amie Just of the New Orleans Times-Picayune):

The 6'10" big man helped guide the Tigers to a 28-7 record and Sweet 16 appearance in the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament. 

Reid is ranked No. 44 on the big board of Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman. The draft analyst wrote the following on March 19:

"Mixed results of scoring versatility, poor shot selection and defensive indifference should ultimately lead to a wide draft range for the freshman. He's taken a big fall down our board since October, when we overranked him to start the season. His rebounding numbers (10.5 per 40) and shot-blocking (1.2 per 40) have been underwhelming, as has his basketball IQ and motor. But at a certain point in the draft, Reid's face-up shot creation and perimeter shot-making will appear worth gambling on..."

Aran Smith of NBADraft.net ranks Reid 23rd overall, and ESPN.com lists him 50th on its top-100 prospect list.

We'll likely see how teams feel about Reid shortly. The pre-draft process is about to ramp up, especially when the NBA Scouting Combine begins May 14 in Chicago.

However, Reid does have the opportunity to return to school if he so chooses. Per Just:

"All players, even ones who ultimately return to school, can have certified agents guide them through the process. The deadline to submit into the NBA Draft and be represented by an agent is April 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Those agents must be NBPA-certified. Players who return to college must end their representation agreement with agents before enrolling in the next academic term."

But LSU is in a difficult spot. Head coach Will Wade has been suspended indefinitely by the university after "reports surfaced about FBI wiretaps in which Wade discussed an offer he made to a recruit," per Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post. Pat Forde, Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports wrote the original report.

Therefore, it's unclear who will coach the Tigers next season, which naturally creates an unsettling future for current LSU players.

If Reid does stay in the draft, he'll wait to hear his name called on Thursday, June 20. The event will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Shannon Forman is reportedly the man suspended LSU head men's basketball coach Will Wade was referencing during a wiretapped 2017 phone call with Christian Dawkins. 

According to Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, Wade said he made a "strong-ass offer" to Forman for a recruit. Forman is a "fixture in Baton Rouge basketball circles" who LSU guard Javonte Smart reportedly referred to as his mentor.

Wade is suspended indefinitely by LSU amid an investigation into whether he used improper benefits in recruiting.

Dawkins is facing bribery charges for allegedly acting as a middleman in illegal negotiations between college basketball coaches and the families of recruits. He was already convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in October.

Smart was not cleared to play in the final game of the regular season since his name came up in the wiretapped conversation, but he returned for the start of the SEC tournament. Smart has also played during LSU's run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.

In the conversation between Wade and Dawkins that allegedly involved them talking about Forman, Wade said the following, per Yahoo Sports:

"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. 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."

Dawkins reportedly sent an email to ASM Sports president Andy Miller and other ASM employees in August 2016 and wrote the following regarding Forman: "I met with ... Shannon Forman, who has Javonte smart (sic). [Forman] had two kids in the elite 24 game that have a shot down the line. And he also wants to give us Brandon Sampson."

When asked Thursday by Yahoo Sports to comment on the matter, Forman would only say, "Right now is not a good time."

Smart is averaging 11.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game this season as a freshman. He scored nine points in each of LSU's first two NCAA tournament games as well.

With Tony Benford acting as LSU's interim head coach, the Tigers are in the Sweet 16 after beating both Yale and Maryland. On Friday, they will face second-seeded Michigan State for a spot in the Elite Eight.

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After the first round of the 2019 NCAA tournament failed to produce any dramatic buzzer beaters, the LSU Tigers and the Maryland Terrapins wasted little time in making up for it to start the second round.

Entering the final minute tied at 64 apiece, the teams traded a pair of clutch three-pointers down the stretch. That set the stage for Tigers sophomore Tremont Waters to deliver Baton Rouge a signature March Madness moment.

Waters drove past the Terrapins defense to sink the game-winning layup with just 1.6 seconds to play. Maryland's desperation heave from beyond half court did not fall.

LSU will face the winner of No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Minnesota in the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

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When LSU looks back at the tape from Thursday's NCAA tournament game against Yale, there will be stiff competition among teammates over who had the best highlight. 

Tremont Waters has a good claim for that crown after dropping Yale's Alex Copeland to one knee with a slick crossover. 

The only downside to the play is Kavell Bigby-Williams was unable to finish Waters' alley-oop pass after being fouled by Blake Reynolds. 

That's a minor nitpick from a stellar moment for Waters in LSU's first NCAA tournament game in four years.  

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Skylar Mays is helping make things look easy for LSU in Thursday's NCAA tournament game against Yale.  

The junior guard showed off his handle with this Eurostep late in the first half that left Yale's Azar Swain stuck in his tracks, wondering what happened. 

Mays has had nearly one week to think about how he would redeem himself after scoring six points on 3-of-13 shooting in the SEC tournament quarterfinal loss to Florida. 

The early returns from Mays' first NCAA tournament game seem to indicate he's been able to move past those struggles. 

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Naz Reid is off to an excellent start in his first-ever NCAA tournament game. 

LSU's star freshman threw down a monster dunk at the end of a fast break midway through the first half of Thursday's game against Yale. 

Making their first tournament appearance since 2014-15, the Tigers finished the regular season in a state of uncertainty with head coach Will Wade suspended indefinitely for his alleged role in an NCAA recruiting scandal. 

Based on Reid's emphatic dunk and the reaction from his teammates, LSU is having no trouble staying focused on its goal of trying to win a national championship. The Tigers headed to the locker room up 16.

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"(Wayde) was the glue guy," said LSU guard Skylar Mays. "He was a glue guy in the way he played because he played to make other guys better. He played to win. It was so effortless for him to help this team win games."

This year, LSU's basketball team is playing without arguably its most important player: Wayde Sims. He was the locker room presence who maintained team chemistry, making all the hustle plays to help secure victories. Sims was killed September 28 during a group altercation outside nearby Southern University.

In an exclusive B/R feature, Sims' parents (speaking for the first time on camera) and Mays (who grew up with Sims in Baton Rouge) look back at a life that still impacts the team and the Tigers community.

LSU received good news Friday when Javonte Smart was cleared to play prior to its first SEC tournament game. 

Per Amie Just of the Times-Picayune, LSU cleared Smart to play against Florida following an investigation into the recruiting scandal involving suspended head coach Will Wade:

Smart became embroiled in the scandal when Wade was reported to have been caught on an FBI wiretap talking about making an offer to a recruit. 

"I was thinking last night on this Smart thing," Wade said on the wiretap, per Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports. "I'll be honest with you, I'm [expletive] tired of dealing with the thing. Like I'm just [expletive] sick of dealing with the [expletive]. Like, this should not be that [expletive] complicated."

Wade went on to say he made a "hell of an offer" to a player in an attempt to get him to commit to the Tigers. 

LSU suspended Wade indefinitely while the NCAA's investigation into the situation continues. 

Smart didn't play in the regular-season finale against Vanderbilt on March 9 amid the allegations. The Louisiana native is averaging 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 30 games this season. 

LSU won the SEC regular-season championship for the first time since 2008-09. The Tigers are looking for their first conference tournament title since 1979-80. 

LSU Tigers head basketball coach Will Wade released a statement Thursday requesting to return from administrative leave amid allegations he was involved in offering money for a recruit in 2017.

Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated provided the comments from Wade, who noted he's informed school president F. King Alexander, athletic director Joe Alleva and the LSU Board of Supervisors of his desire to resume his coaching duties:

Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel reported March 7 that Wade was caught on an FBI wiretap discussing a "strong-ass offer" made for Tigers freshman guard Javonte Smart, then a 4-star prospect, with business manager Christian Dawkins in 2017.

"I was thinking last night on this Smart thing," Wade told Dawkins. "I'll be honest with you, I'm [expletive] tired of dealing with the thing. Like I'm just [expletive] sick of dealing with the [expletive]. Like, this should not be that [expletive] complicated."

The LSU coach made reference to an unnamed third party involved in discussions and said the offer's structure was likely holding up the situation, according to the Yahoo Sports report.

"The problem was, I know why he didn't take it now, it was [expletive] tilted toward the family a little bit," Wade 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."

Wade previously denied doing any business with Dawkins, who received a six-month prison sentence in the large-scale corruption case in early March.

Smart has been kept out of the Tigers' lineup while the school investigated the allegations, but he did make the trip to the SEC tournament with his teammates as he awaited potential clearance.

Assistant Tony Benford has coached LSU on an interim basis during Wade's absence.

LSU, the top seed in the SEC tournament and the ninth-ranked team in the country, will play either the Florida Gators or Arkansas Razorbacks in Friday's quarterfinals.