LSU AD Scott Woodward responds following release of HBO documentary featuring Will Wade wiretap audio
It appears it’s business as usual in Baton Rouge despite the release of a damning audio clip featuring LSU head coach Will Wade discussing payments being offered to recruits.
If you missed it, HBO released a new documentary on Tuesday called “The Scheme” which centered on the FBI’s investigation into the corruption in college basketball.
Wade was featured in the film as his infamous wiretap conversation with former NBA agent Christian Dawkins makes it very clear the LSU coach not only extended an offer to current LSU basketball player Javonte Smart on the wiretap, but the coach noted he’s done this with many recruits.
Dawkins was later convicted of bribery in federal court and sentenced to one year and one day in prison following the FBI’s investigation.
Following the release of the audio by HBO, LSU AD Scott Woodward has issued the following statement according to Amie Just of The Times-Picayune:
“We are aware of the documentary first aired on March 31, 2020, on HBO. There is no change to Coach Will Wade’s employment status at LSU and we will continue to cooperate with all reviews into this matter.”
If you missed the wiretap audio clip of Wade, you can check it out below courtesy of Trey Wallace of FOX Sports Knoxville.
Hearing the Will Wade audio, compared to reading a quote.
Does it make a difference to you?
Via: HBO #TheScheme pic.twitter.com/7kgESLALZ5
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) April 1, 2020
Can’t pretend it didn’t happen, LSU…too much proof out there to see. Ben Simmons was bad enough, but there will be serious consequences for all of college basketball after this. The programs that are not cheating will be looked at as if they are. I wouldn’t be surprised if LSU got the death penalty over this.
You obviously don’t know how the death penalty works. I’m not surprised.
“The programs that are not cheating will be looked at as if they are.”
Ha-hah!!! And which programs would that be?
According to a famous quote from Jerry Tarkanian, “9 out of 10 programs are cheating. The 1 in 10 are in last place.”
I cannot believe LSU still employs that turd. I don’t think even KY would keep Calipari if he were so obviously guilty. I’m no LSU fan, but if I were I’d be embarrassed that Will Wade still represented LSU. A real bad look for LSU, and another black eye for the SEC. Maybe the SEC office needs to get involved since LSU won’t do whats right. I was thrilled when Arkansas joined the SEC, but I’m fed up with competing against dirty programs. Just last year, we fired our basketball coach because he didn’t win enough games. A big reason he didn’t win more games is because he didn’t cheat and he had to compete against multiple dirty programs in the SEC.
So your saying that your new coach cheats? Interesting take. I don’t know why LSU keeps Wade. The NCAA was there during his LSU meeting, and they didn’t do anything then. LSU hadn’t even been given an LOI yet. It may still come. Six other schools have. I’f LSU fires Wade now, they would have to pay his buyout. If they wait until they are charged, they don’t have to pay. Also, firing him would be pretty much pleading guilty and getting probation. It is in LSU’s interest to not fire him.
Been wondering why nothing’s been done – this makes sense. Whole thing is a real shame, but it’s all business in the end. SMH
I’m not saying Mussleman cheats. Not sure where you get that from. In fact, based on the fact that he lost out on a few kids that many insiders know were on the take, I would bet you that he is NOT dirty. Mike Anderson ran a squeaky clean program at Arkansas. Regarding Wade, LSU could fire him today with cause and not owe him a penny. Wade wouldn’t dare go to court over an unlawful termination, because he would be forced to lie under oath, exposing himself to perjury charges. Your last 2 sentences are probably accurate. LSU saw what happened to Missouri when you cooperate with the NCAA. Maybe it’s best for every school to lie, dodge and deceive the NCAA.
Not a bassetball fan, don’t care about Will Wade or the bassetball team. Just clicked on it to share that.
As a FOG, I respect you as a FOT.
UNC…
Exactly
It seems like the NCAA is in on it. Otherwise why would it have ever gotten this bad. Why would these guys still be coaching? Why would the players still be playing? I don’t care if people get paid for playing basketball, just don’t lie and call
it amateur sports. I don’t want to watch pro sports. I don’t want to pay for professional sports. Don’t lie to me. This is why I quit watching college basketball and this is why I quit watching college football programs that I strongly suspect are
paying players. I rather go for a walk myself, do some sit-ups, take the canoe out, head for the lap-pool, than watch people get paid to play a game. That just my preference, don’t lie to me about it.
I don’t think the NCAA is in on it, but consider – the NCAA doesn’t make money off of football, and they enforce compliance relentlessly in football. The NCAA *does* make money off of the NCAA hoops tourney, and couldn’t care less that basketball has always been filthy dirty.
Hmmmm….
So you don’t watch any college football? The only 2 schools that are squeaky clean is Utopia U and the U of Naive. You would have to be an alum of one of those if you don’t think some players on every team isn’t being paid. That includes Mizzu.
The only thing I can think of , and this after Mizzou got hurt by the NCAA, is the NCAA is chicken poop bullies. They pick on programs that don’t have the adamant alumni with extra deep pockets. They fear those schools where the competition is so fierce the money continues to poor in from alumni. And the SEC is the bread and butter to the NCAA. Other than that I got nothing. You bully those you can and you avoid the tough guys.
Huh, this makes total sense.
Oh wait, they rubbed USC’s face in dog poop. Nevermind, not a word of that makes sense.
The wheels of justice turn slowly. Just because nothing has been done by the NCAA doesn’t mean nothing will. Time will tell.
It seemed like the powers that be at LSU had already decided that they weren’t willing to distance themselves from Wade even before they heard all the evidence. They had a coach who was doing well and they didn’t want to give that up. Please spare me the “whatabout this team or that team?” responses… We’re talking about big hips Will Wade here! LOL
If I were a fan of any of the big hoops schools, I’d probably absolutely positively keep my mouth shut literally always when it came to other people cheating.
Another SEC Basketball scandal. Smh..Things like this don’t happen in the PAC12.
I’ll just assume your joking. Cause if your not, you’re going to get embarrassed.
Well let me narrow my comment down..Things like this doesn’t happen in Boulder. Better?
Do you not remember Gary Barnett?
@BamaTime of course I do.. He was the wisest man on the field when Mizzou officials gave us a 5th down..Other than that…
It’s funny you call him a wise man co spidering how he treated females….
Considering *
I believe whatever you’re speaking of is alledged. I cannot for the life of me remember any incident other than Rick Neuheisel’s 51 minor recruiting infractions that led to us being on probation for what 2yrs?? But to throw Coach Barnett in the same category and Rick Petino, Art Briles etc etc is reaching for a story that’s not there.
Actually the story is still there…
Really? Things like this don’t happen in Boulder but you post later that RN had 51 recruiting violations. That is cheating. Calling 51 violations minor doesn’t mean that they weren’t cheating. Strike 2 on your Colorado/Pac12 is clean.
Earth.. He makes it to easy. He tries all the time to knock on the SEC and it blows up in his face. If he is that clueless about CFB he probably should stay quiet…
Darth*
Sure. Other than at S. Cal, Arizona and Arizona St.
I’d take “maybe 3 questionable” incidents versus an entire corrupt conference…You know the “Some Easily Cheat” conference..
Name a school in the PAC that has never been punished by the NCAA?
The Conf has had it’s issues..I won’t deny that.. However you’re talking scandals that took place 10-15yrs ago… The SEC continues to lead by example of how shady business is to be done in the world of college athletics.. Prove me wrong.. Which today conference continues to come up with investigation after investigation?
You can’t be serious? Oregon got hit for recruiting violations, Arizona’s baseball team was banned from the post season just to name a couple.. Now you have the basketball scandal…
The PAC is as dirty as anyone and a quick google search lays it all out.
I went to the NCAA infractions database and went back 5 years for the pac 12… Cal 2016, Stanford 2016, Utah 2018 and 2019, Oregon 2018, And Arizona 2019… All have major infractions. It’s easy to make you look like a fool.
Ah, the mating call of a teams and conferences that can’t win. We don’t win because everybody else cheats. When they do get caught it is questionable. The question isn’t if the Pac12 teams cheat. The question is why aren’t they cheating better. You must believe in unicorns.
I need more PAC12 bloggers in here!
Mentioning Arizona State, I find that hard to believe. Coach Hurley grew up in Jersey City (where I’m from) and went to St Anthony’s High School. We played against him annually. There he was coached by one of the greatest HS Coaches probably of all time Bob Hurley Sr. That man walked a fine line. I find it hard to believe a Coach Hurley Sr and Coach K product is involved in cheating.. I’m gonna dig in to this..Y’all probably stretching the truth..
The NCAA maintains a database where you can look it all up… I’ll go with facts over your opinion everyday…
Darth*
When did Arizona leave the Pac12? They are being investigated by the FBI for the same thing going on at LSU.
Is the way this low-life talks the way we want college men being educated? We just don’t need basketball THIS bad
Calimari is too slick for anything to stick to him….Not even the Derrick Rose case in Memphis….they fine and put the school on probation, but Calimari had already fled to KY. They still didn’t do any thing to him.