LSU coach Will Wade was the main subject of a new wiretap report by Yahoo! Sports reporters Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel, and an additional report by ESPN.
A 2017 phone conversation intercepted by the FBI between Wade and basketball middleman Christian Dawkins features Wade speaking freely about a “strong-ass offer” he made in the recruitment of a prospect, according to the Yahoo! Sports report.
The report also states that Wade mentioned the word “Smart”, which could be in reference to current LSU freshman guard Javonte Smart, who was part of the Tigers’ huge recruiting haul in 2018.
According to the wiretap, Wade made a “strong-ass offer” to the recruit in question, but there is no specific reference to what the offer was, who it was for and whether the offer violated NCAA rules.
Details from the ESPN report state that in a phone call between Wade and Dawkins, Wade joked that the player, believed to be Smart, would be compensated more than the “rookie minimum”.
Dawkins declined to comment through his attorney, and LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva declined to comment to Yahoo! Sports. NOLA.com’s Amie Just reached out to an LSU spokesperson but was told that the University is not currently commenting on the situation.
“I have no comment at this time. I knew about 23 minutes before it was released,” Wade said at a press luncheon today. “Our guys have handled adversity well all season.”