LSU, Will Wade reportedly set to meet for the first time following coach’s suspension
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One way or another, it appears LSU is moving closer to a final resolution when it comes to Will Wade.
According to Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated, Wade is set to meet with LSU and NCAA officials in Baton Rouge on Friday. Dellenger claims LSU has confirmed the meeting with Wade and provided a statement outlining its expectations for the meeting. While a conclusion is unlikely to be reached from just this one meeting, it appears to be a step closer to reaching a conclusion in the coming weeks.
Wade is currently on suspension after refusing to meet with LSU and the NCAA following the release of the Yahoo! Sports story alleging that Wade offered payment to secure the commitment of LSU guard Javante Smart. Smart was also initially suspended by LSU but met with the school and its investigators and was quickly allowed to return to the court in time for the postseason.
Since his original suspension, Wade has hired attorney Steven Thompson. Thompson has represented Auburn’s Bruce Pearl and Arizona’s Sean Miller following claims against both coaches following the FBI’s investigation into corruption in college basketball.
LSU provided the following statement to Sports Illustrated to confirm that it plans to meet with Wade this week:
“I can confirm there is a meeting scheduled tomorrow with Coach Wade, LSU officials and the NCAA within the parameters LSU first requested in early March. University officials have made clear their expectation for full cooperation and transparency in this first step in a process toward resolution.”
LSU has previously stated that Wade has an open invitation to meet with the school and NCAA officials regarding the allegations being made against him. Now it appears Wade will finally take them up on that offer after a few weeks of weighing his options.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
