LSU Basketball Has Not Been Informed of Notice of Allegations by NCAA After False Report From Dick Vitale
Despite a report from ESPN's Dick Vitale, LSU basketball has not been issued an NOA (notice of allegations) a source confirmed to LSU Country Wednesday evening.
Vitale reported that the NCAA had handed down a NOA to the LSU basketball program "of various allegations that they have been charged with."
LSU Senior Associate Athletic Director Robert Munson released the following statement minutes after the report from Vitale.
“LSU has not received any notice of allegations involving the men’s basketball program or any athletic program at LSU," the statement read.
While no allegations have been handed down by the NCAA yet, that doesn't mean they won't be coming.
The allegations stem from an investigation that has been launched by the NCAA into coach Will Wade and the LSU program. The Tigers have been in the NCAA cross-hairs for over a year after numerous reports about wire tapped phone conversations between Wade and middleman Christian Dawkins, which eventually led to Wade's suspension at the end of the 2019 season.
A snippet of those tapes were played in an HBO documentary titled "The Scheme."
"The audio—some of which was not entered into federal court and has never been heard before—will provide pertinent, first-hand information for NCAA investigators working to finalize cases involving LSU and Arizona," Sports Illustrated national writer Pat Forde wrote. "Much of that information comes from the mouths of the coaches themselves. That’s a significant development."
“Just the audacity, you’ve got to take your hat off to him, bro. … Will Wade is definitely a f------ gangster for what he did,” Dawkins said of Wade in the documentary.
After his 37-day suspension was lifted for failing to meet with LSU administrators, Wade's contract was reworked. If LSU is slapped with a notice of allegations for either a Level 1 or Level 2 violation, the reworked contract makes it easier for LSU to fire Wade with cause.
As for the upcoming season, Wade has brought in one of the more talented recruiting classes in 2020, headlined by five-star guard Cam Thomas and could see another big fish land in Baton Rouge this week.
Big man Moussa Cisse, originally a 2021 class prospect, reclassified to 2020 and is set to make his college decision sometime this week. LSU along with Memphis and Kentucky are considered to be the frontrunners.
