USA Today Sports/Reuters
Louisiana State University basketball coach Will Wade was suspended on Friday after reports claimed an FBI wiretap had recorded Wade discussing a recruiting deal with a former Adidas consultant. “All of us at LSU share the obligation to protect the integrity of this institution, as such we have suspended Head Coach Will Wade indefinitely until such time as we can ensure full compliance with the NCAA, as well as institutional policies and standards,” a statement from the school, obtained by The Advocate, read. According to Yahoo Sports, Wade references the recruitment of freshman guard Javonte Smart in a call with Christian Dawkins, who was convicted with two other men of conspiring to pay basketball recruits to sign with Adidas-sponsored schools. “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 reportedly said in the recorded conversation. “I went to him with a [expletive] strong-ass offer about a month ago. [Expletive] strong.”
According to court documents, Dawkins, who was sentenced to six months in jail for his role in the NCAA corruption scheme, had at least three calls with Wade between June 19, 2017, and June 30, 2017. Smart reportedly announced his commitment to LSU on June 30, 2017. Wade’s team is currently ranked No. 10 in the NCAA’s rankings.