LSU basketball, Will Wade get Notice of Allegations from NCAA | Report
Koki Riley, Lafayette Daily Advertiser
Wed, March 9, 2022, 8:38 AM
LSU basketball has received its Notice of Allegations from the NCAA, according to a report from Sports Illustrated on Tuesday.
The case is part of the scandal linked to recruiting enticements and other forms of bribery in 2017 that has consumed some of the biggest college basketball programs and coaches in the sport, including Arizona, Auburn, Kansas, Louisville, and Memphis.
The scandal led to the creation of the Independent Accountability Resolution Process, or IARP, a group of independent investigators tasked with reviewing select cases of rules violations assigned by a referral committee.
LSU has not yet publicly acknowledged receiving the NOA.
The news comes on the heels of the SEC Tournament with the Tigers (21-10) playing Thursday (1:30 p.m., SEC Network) against the Ole Miss-Missouri winner and an expected bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Coach Will Wade was suspended by LSU in 2019 after he was recorded on a federal wiretap saying he made a "strong-(expletive) offer," to former guard Javonte Smart, a highly regarded point guard who signed with the Tigers. Smart was represented by Christian Dawkins, who is finishing out an 18-month sentence on bribery and conspiracy charges.
Wade was not reinstated until he signed an amended contract that allows LSU to fire him with cause if he was to be investigated for a major violation in the eyes of the NCAA.
The IARP is slowly concluding penalties involving schools caught up in the FBI investigation.
In June, Creighton was placed on two years of probation and handed minor recruiting penalties.
In December, Auburn received four years probation and coach Bruce Pearl was given a two-game suspension for failing to monitor his assistant and adequately promote compliance.
In December, NC State was given one year of probation, a $5,000 fine, scholarship losses for this season and 2022-23, plus some standard recruiting limitations.
