Adidas scandal latest

[DangerDevil]

Wade suspended indefinitely: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...amid-fbi-probe

Wonder how this will affect LSU's seeding?

I think suspending Wade is the decent/appropriate thing to do but why do it if you are LSU?

The only answer I can think of is they are hoping to mitigate the severity of the NCAA’s punishment.

Why not see how this plays out and let Wade keep coaching? If the allegations are true then I assume the entire season will be vacated due to having a player(s) that accepted impermissible benefits participate.

[UrinalCake]

I think suspending Wade is the decent/appropriate thing to do but why do it if you are LSU?

Because they were getting hammered in the court of public opinion for continuing to let him coach, and some schools actually care about whether people think they have any integrity (obviously others do not).

[PSurprise]

Wonder what Alleva has to say about this...?

[PackMan97]

I think suspending Wade is the decent/appropriate thing to do but why do it if you are LSU?

The only answer I can think of is they are hoping to mitigate the severity of the NCAA’s punishment.

Why not see how this plays out and let Wade keep coaching? If the allegations are true then I assume the entire season will be vacated due to having a player(s) that accepted impermissible benefits participate.

Why? It's pretty simple...it's the reason you fire Butch Davis and stand behind Roy Williams. In LSU's case, you don't care about basketball and you want to toss the NCAA a bone and get them off campus and keep them away from your football program.

[arnie]

Wonder what Alleva has to say about this...?

Ha ha. I’m not sure anyone’s told him yet. He won’t have a position, unless his boss tells him the position .

[budwom]

Wonder what Alleva has to say about this...?

Joe can say he didn't know, since people who know him know how likely it is that he doesn't know anything.

[75Crazie]

Why? It's pretty simple...it's the reason you fire Butch Davis and stand behind Roy Williams. In LSU's case, you don't care about basketball and you want to toss the NCAA a bone and get them off campus and keep them away from your football program.

Ding ding ding ding ding!

[DangerDevil]

A few more updates:

Gottfried directly linked to payments.

“Court filings in a federal criminal case involving college basketball corruption link former NC State coach Mark Gottfried to being the first head coach directly connected to impermissible payments to players, sources told ESPN.

According to a disclosure from federal prosecutors, former NC State assistant Orlando Early's attorney said his client disclosed that Gottfried on two occasions gave him envelopes -- contained what Early believed was cash -- to deliver to star guard Dennis Smith Jr.'s trainer to ensure he signed with the Wolfpack in 2015.”

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...inked-payments

Wade apparently declined to meet with LSU officials to discuss the situation prior to his suspension.

“LSU basketball coach Will Wade was suspended by the university after he declined to meet with administrators to discuss alleged comments Wade made about recruiting efforts on phone calls secretly recorded by the FBI, a source familiar with the situation told The Advocate.“

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_ro...c0af1c806.html

[MChambers]

Wade apparently declined to meet with LSU officials to discuss the situation prior to his suspension.

“LSU basketball coach Will Wade was suspended by the university after he declined to meet with administrators to discuss alleged comments Wade made about recruiting efforts on phone calls secretly recorded by the FBI, a source familiar with the situation told The Advocate.“

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_ro...c0af1c806.html

Coach refuses to meet with his school's administrators and all they do is suspend him? If I was AD, I'd fire him immediately.

[sagegrouse]

A few more updates:

Gottfried directly linked to payments.

“Court filings in a federal criminal case involving college basketball corruption link former NC State coach Mark Gottfried to being the first head coach directly connected to impermissible payments to players, sources told ESPN.

According to a disclosure from federal prosecutors, former NC State assistant Orlando Early's attorney said his client disclosed that Gottfried on two occasions gave him envelopes -- contained what Early believed was cash -- to deliver to star guard Dennis Smith Jr.'s trainer to ensure he signed with the Wolfpack in 2015.”

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...inked-payments

Wade apparently declined to meet with LSU officials to discuss the situation prior to his suspension.

“LSU basketball coach Will Wade was suspended by the university after he declined to meet with administrators to discuss alleged comments Wade made about recruiting efforts on phone calls secretly recorded by the FBI, a source familiar with the situation told The Advocate.“

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_ro...c0af1c806.html

Coach refuses to meet with his school's administrators and all they do is suspend him? If I was AD, I'd fire him immediately.

No fooling. Failure to meet with the AD and other officials would be sufficient cause for firing in itself. Plus it avoids the messy part of -- "Whose voice is that on the tape?" Or, "Was it doctored?"

[JasonEvans]

Coach refuses to meet with his school's administrators and all they do is suspend him? If I was AD, I'd fire him immediately.

With fancy contracts there are likely procedures to go through for firing for cause. I am betting LSU is simply making sure they have everything properly documented before firing him. Recall that Pitino slapped Louisville with a $40 mil lawsuit when they fired him. I think a suspension and then moving prudently through an investigative period is perfectly appropriate for LSU.

Wade is likely refusing to talk to them on advice of lawyers. Also perfectly appropriate considering he likely has a significant amount of legal jeopardy at stake here.

-Jason "LSU plays Vandy tonight at 830pm... I wonder if Javonte Smart will suit up. Have to wonder if other players were paid too. Naz Reid is a stud and a huge recruit... why would you pay Smart and not pay a top 10 prospect like Reid?" Evans

[Pghdukie]

I agree totally with Jason. LSU has to have all their stars aligned to fire Wade. I'm just curious as to "suspended" with or without pay ?

[YmoBeThere]

Vandy is 0-17 in the SEC, could this be their ticket to a win? (And we were chuckling last season as former coach Kevin Stallings was bageling Pitt's ACC schedule. Karma is a ...)

[Bob Green]

-Jason "LSU plays Vandy tonight at 830pm... I wonder if Javonte Smart will suit up. Have to wonder if other players were paid too. Naz Reid is a stud and a huge recruit... why would you pay Smart and not pay a top 10 prospect like Reid?" Evans

Smart will not play per ESPN:

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...tment-concerns

LSU guard Javonte Smart, whose recruitment by coach Will Wade has reportedly been linked to an FBI wiretap, will sit out Saturday's regular-season finale against Vanderbilt, the university announced.

[sagegrouse]

With fancy contracts there are likely procedures to go through for firing for cause. I am betting LSU is simply making sure they have everything properly documented before firing him. Recall that Pitino slapped Louisville with a $40 mil lawsuit when they fired him. I think a suspension and then moving prudently through an investigative period is perfectly appropriate for LSU.

Wade is likely refusing to talk to them on advice of lawyers. Also perfectly appropriate considering he likely has a significant amount of legal jeopardy at stake here.

-Jason "LSU plays Vandy tonight at 830pm... I wonder if Javonte Smart will suit up. Have to wonder if other players were paid too. Naz Reid is a stud and a huge recruit... why would you pay Smart and not pay a top 10 prospect like Reid?" Evans

Holy moly! I didn't know any of this this! From his Wikipedia bio:

• Will Wade began his career as the student manager of the Clemson men's basketball team from 2002–2005. He worked under Larry Shyatt and Oliver Purnell, who gave him further opportunities as a graduate assistant (2005–06) and Director of Basketball Operations (2006–07).
• Tommy Amaker then brought him in as his first hire as Harvard men's basketball coach where he was responsible for helping to recruit a top 25 class for the program. He stayed at Harvard for the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons before leaving for VCU.
• Will Wade was brought in as an assistant to then-head coach Shaka Smart at VCU (he was Smart's first hire like he had been Amaker's). He helped VCU to four consecutive postseason appearances, including a trip to the 2011 Final Four.

[BD80]

…

-Jason "... Have to wonder if other players were paid too. Naz Reid is a stud and a huge recruit... why would you pay Smart and not pay a top 10 prospect like Reid?" Evans

This is the kind of thing that has the SEC basketball coaches talking about a cap on payments to players …

Of course the SEC football coaches absolutely refuse to have limits on what they can pay their players ...

[cspan37421]

... NC State coach Mark Gottfried to being the first head coach directly connected to impermissible payments to players, ...

Someone equally skilled in Photoshop and snark should come up with some new slogans for NC's "First in Flight" license plates.

[DangerDevil]

-Jason "LSU plays Vandy tonight at 830pm... I wonder if Javonte Smart will suit up. Have to wonder if other players were paid too. Naz Reid is a stud and a huge recruit... why would you pay Smart and not pay a top 10 prospect like Reid?" Evans

Emmitt Williams was another 5 star recruit in LSU’s 2018 class and Tremont Waters was a big late addition to their 2017 class after Wade was hired.

Their 2019 class is a little different, only 2 signees, a JUCO transfer and a 3 star PG.

I wonder if anything was different during 2019 recruitment cycle?

[sagegrouse]

At today's LSU-Vanderbilt game in Baton Rouge, the fans jeered and screamed at AD Joe Alleva but for all the wrong reasons -- they were mad that Will Wade was suspended and that Javonte Smart sidelined.

[arnie]

At today's LSU-Vanderbilt game in Baton Rouge, the fans jeered and screamed at AD Joe Alleva but for all the wrong reasons -- they were mad that Will Wade was suspended and that Javonte Smart sidelined.

So Alleva gets booed at LSU; but except for a few astute fans in this area, got a free pass during his time at Duke despite Hillier, Franks, Roof, Coach G, Pressley/lacrosse debacle and complete malaise in football. Have I missed others? I’ll acknowledge the positive; he didn’t run K out of Durham.