LSU just put themselves in jeopardy of lack of institutional control. They suspended him and now put him back to work without clarity. I hope he has to testify and the tape is played. They also allowed him to lie to them! Last summer he said himself he had never had contact with the money men and now it’s out in the open he has.
The NCAA is gutless and won’t do nothing at all! Dirt bags deserve each other! Just like N Carolina and Louisville !
Maybe the FBI will blow the whole bunch of cheaters out of the water I hope so!
Oh no! The LSU AD gave clarity. I’m going to leave the statement he release, highlight some key points and you tell me if you believe a word of it:
“The LSU Athletics Department today agreed to reinstate Will Wade as head coach of the Tiger basketball program. Coach Wade met Friday with University and NCAA officials. <strong>During those meetings, he answered all questions and denied any wrongdoing in connection with recently reported allegations of irregularities in college basketball recruiting.</strong>
“<strong>The University regrets that Coach Wade did not choose to fulfill his obligations to LSU when he was first asked to do so</strong>. However, the seriousness of the allegations and Coach Wade’s prior refusal to refute them could not be ignored without exposing the University and the basketball program to great risk. Protecting LSU and preserving our integrity must always be our first priority.
“<strong>Coach Wade’s explanations and clarifications offered during the meeting, absent actual evidence of misconduct, satisfy his contractual obligation to LSU.</strong> Accordingly, I have recommended that Coach Wade’s suspension be lifted and that he should be allowed to resume his coaching responsibilities. President Alexander has accepted this recommendation.”
In other words, Wade denied any wrong doing, didn’t fulfill his obligation as a representative of LSU basketball by addressing it the first time, and now, there’s no evidence because he told us there wasn’t and now has fulfilled his obligation as a representative of LSU basketball?!
What I’m curious about is if some of the players looking to go to the NBA will come back now. I know 2 can’t, but 3 could possibly come back. If they don’t, LSU doesn’t have much of a team coming back next season. Like I said in another thread, they very well could be SEC champs to bottom feeders in one year. Plus, who will want to come to LSU now with the heat already on the program?
On the first highlighted portion, yes I believe he denied any wrongdoing and answered all their questions. 100% correct, I wouldn’t expect him to admit to anything and not answer questions. Notice, we don’t know what the questions are.
I also think the second highlighted portion is 100% accurate. 100%. Nothing is wrong, they were disappointed he didn’t say anything when asked before the SECT. He even said his lawyer advised against it. The AD didn’t mention that, just they were upset he didn’t talk when first asked.
The third highlighted portion is also correct and very telling. “NO ACTUAL EVIDENCE.” That phone call was to who? About who? (We all guessed Smart, but was that the “Smart kid?”). As of now, there is a conversation on an FBI wiretap, there is no evidence to what “the strong a$$ offer” was, or to whom.
So, LSU’s statements are 100% accurate, until the FBI releases more info. Especially, when it comes to what constitutes what the offer was and who the “Smart kid” was. Notice saying “Smart kid” doesn’t mean Javonte Smart.
Why can two not return? Are they SR’s? Hiring and agent and waiting until the draft, no longer mean they can’t come back. Only exhausting eligibility does.
The third part you can’t say is 100% correct because we do know that he said he made an offer that was different than just a normal scholarship to some player. My point is, the third comment contradicts the first two. That’s the part that doesn’t make any sense.
The feds don’t want Wade or any other coach to testify because it counters their case that Dawkins was defrauding the schools. Wade’s wiretap shows the schools, or at least that school, were willing participants. So he may not actually testify when the trial starts next month, and he sure doesn’t want to take the stand.
Second, I strongly suspect that Wade told them if they fire him based on that wiretap, he will sue them immediately. Probably in Louisiana where the jury pool would be wearing purple and gold.
Third, they’re rolling the dice. I’m not a lawyer, but as I understand, the defense has every right to call him as a witness, and the feds can’t stop him, and if he tells the truth, he’ll be admitting NCAA violations in open court. And if he doesn’t tell the truth he could go to prison. So yes, they’re risking lack of institutional control.
As for the two LSU kids who can’t come back, I think Reid has basically done the same thing as Gafford, and thus can’t come back, and the other one already went through the NBA evaluation process once. Second time, you’ve forfeited your college eligibility, if I recall correctly.
Disagree, what was the “strong ass offer and to whom? Smart and his family deny it. Also, Naz Reid (I read somewhere he scored above 30 on his ACT), would be a “smart kid”, who do you think got a strong a$$ offer? Plus, Wade was talking about the “handler” changing things. Who is the handler? The handler is the one with “actual evidence.” That phone call, we don’t know who, what, he’s talking about. We speculated. So, that third statement “without actual evidence” is 100% correct.