What to Make of Latest NOA Development With LSU Basketball Program

The three-year saga hovering over the LSU basketball program reached a pinnacle moment this week when Sports Illustrated reported a Notice of Allegations has been served.

For those who have been "living under a rock" the last several years, the Tigers have been entangled in an NCAA investigation into alleged recruiting violations made by coach Will Wade. At the center has been the highly publicized wire tap tapes that hear Wade refer to a "strong ass offer" in regards to then point guard recruit Javonte Smart.

The moment was captured on an HBO documentary "The Scheme" and has been one of the centers of attention in an investigation that has also included Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, Kansas coach Bill Self and former Arizona coach Sean Miller. Two of those coaches, Pearl and Self, have since received lifetime contracts from their respective schools while Miller has since been fired by Arizona.

So where does Wade fall on this pendulum? Well there's no doubt that athletic director Scott Woodward, the LSU administration and Wade of course all know what's in the NOA. This will continue to be a process that drags out over several months as LSU will no doubt respond to the NCAA about the allegations, where there are sure to be further meetings and debate before the NCAA hands down a final Notice of Violations.

It's only then that the ball will be placed in LSU's court but by that time Woodward and the administration will have had months to marinate on the allegations and impending Notice of Violations. Depending on what the allegations and ultimately, the violations place on the basketball program, Woodward will have the power to fire Wade for cause if serious enough.

The Advocate reported back in August that new President William Tate expects Woodward to “execute the contract” in terms of any allegations that ultimately turn into significant violations. For what it's worth, both Woodward and Tate have been seen at multiple men's basketball games this season sitting together.

The decision Woodward will have to make is a little deeper than just cutting Wade loose for cause. During his time at LSU, Wade has won over much of the fanbase and has brought the Tigers to consistent winners, something this program really hasn't seen since Dale Brown. Not to mention Wade's bringing in possibly the most talented recruiting class of his tenure, headlined by forward Julian Phillips in 2022.

But this is certainly a double edged sword as Wade was not Woodward's hire and while Woodward has been diplomatic in his public support of Wade as this process draws out, how he approaches this behind closed doors could look very different. There's no doubt Woodward wants to make his mark at LSU and has already started doing so by bringing in women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey, baseball coach Jay Johnson and football coach Brian Kelly.

Bringing in a new men's basketball coach, particularly considering these unique circumstances, is something that Woodward would likely not have much of a problem convincing the donors and LSU board to do.

In the end this is a process, at least from a public's perspective, that will drag out over the next several months so don't expect any final decision in the near future. The details of the allegations will surely be made public in the coming weeks and further opinions and debate will be had about what LSU's next steps will be.

What this week's news showed is that there's an end in sight to what's been an extremely long and tedious investigation.