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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Friday / April 11.
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    • Breaking News, LSU

    By BRETT MARTEL

    (AP) — What could go down as LSU’s most successful basketball season in about four decades also has been tarnished by the suspension of coach Will Wade amid concerns about the recruiting tactics he used to build his team.

    LSU Chancellor F. King Alexander and athletic director Joe Alleva announced on Friday that they suspended Wade indefinitely and appointed assistant Tony Benford interim head coach. Benford’s first game in his new role comes Saturday, when No. 10 LSU (25-5, 15-2 Southeastern Conference) hosts Vanderbilt (9-21, 0-17) with an opportunity to win at least a share of the SEC regular season championship.

    The suspension came a day after reports that an FBI wire-tap captured Wade’s telephone conversations with a person convicted last year of funneling money to the families of basketball recruits. In a joint statement, Alexander and Alleva said the suspension will continue until LSU can ensure that Wade’s recruiting tactics have been in full compliance with NCAA and university policies.

    FBI NCAA Investigation, LSU

    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    LSU coach Will Wade is now trending on Twitter under, “Will Wade. American Gangster.”

    Jon Rothstein Tweeted the phrase Wednesday, and a day later Yahoo released its latest report linking Wade to a wiretap discussion regarding payments to a recruit with would-be-sports agent Christian Dawkins. 

    Wade refers to this “Smart thing,” would could be a reference to current LSU freshman guard Javonte Smart.

    Speaking with reporters Thursday, Wade declined comment several times and said he would have to look into the report. He said Yahoo contacted him for comment about 20 minutes before the story broke.

    On Monday in New York, Dawkins was sentenced to six months in jail after he was convicted last fall of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the Adidas trial. He and his co-defendants, Jim Gatto and Merl Code, are appealing the sentencing and won’t go to jail until the appeal is finished.

    Dawkins and Code are due back in court on federal bribery charges on April 22, and Wade and Arizona coach Sean Miller have been subpoened for that trial.

    Steve Haney, Dawkins’ attorney, said Monday that more coaches are expected to testify then.

    “As many as I can get in the courtroom,” he said when I asked how many coaches might testify. “In the second trial, we’re going to pull back the curtain.”

    Wade was also the subject of a phone call the defense tried to enter into evidence during the Adidas basketball trial. On that call, Wade tells Dawkins “that he can get him what he needs, meaning money, if a high school player in Florida, Balsa Koprivica, agrees to play for LSU,” defense attorney Casey Donnelly argued.

    Arizona, FBI NCAA Investigation, LSU

    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    Representatives of Arizona’s Sean Miller and LSU’s Will Wade have been sent notice that they will be subpoenaed in the federal basketball corruption trial that begins April 22, legal sources confirmed to ZAGSBLOG. 

    “Their representatives have been contacted and agreed to accept service of process [or] subpoenas,” one legal source said.

    The news was first reported earlier Monday by Yahoo Sports.

    Both Arizona and LSU are Nike-sponsored schools, whereas the trial in September focused on Adidas-sponsored schools Kansas, Louisville and N.C. State, among others.

    In October, a jury in New York found that  former Adidas consultant Merl Code, Adidas executive Jim Gatto and would-be sports agent Christian Dawkins committed wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud by paying families of coveted basketball prospects to get them to commit to programs sponsored by the shoe company. The sentencing date is set for March 5. Each federal charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, though the men are likely to serve between two and four years.

    Recruiting

    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    Trendon Watford has a big recruiting weekend ahead of him.

    LSU head coach Will Wade and assistant Billy Armstrong will attend Mountain Brook’s game with John Carroll High School on Friday night. On Saturday, Watford will begin an official visit to Alabama and will watch the Tide face Kentucky in SEC action.

    “It should be exciting to visit with both schools,”said Ernest Watford, Trendon’s father.

    The 6-foot-9 has trimmed his list to four schools — Alabama, Indiana, LSU and Memphis. He has already taken officials to LSU and Memphis.

    Copyright 2016 Zagsblog. Partner of iOne Digital / Cassius Network
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