Alabama Basketball: After Trendon Watford came close to single-handedly winning the recent SEC Tournament, Tide fans have Will Wade questions.
Not just among Alabama basketball fans, but to college basketball fans across the nation, any punishment of Will Wade will not match his transgressions. Wade has done plenty to merit punishment but fans lack confidence in the NCAA and, as far as college basketball, in the FBI.
Writing for SI.com, Pat Forde reported Thursday both the NCAA and the FBI investigations into Wade and LSU are ongoing. According to Forde, multiple sources say FBI agents have recently been to Baton Rouge. An LSU spokesperson denied any knowledge of recent FBI “inquiries or presence in Baton Rouge.”
LSU is adept at using denials to obscure apparent facts. What cannot be denied is Will Wade is not very popular in Baton Rouge. Credible LSU insiders have publicly said Wade is hated for the scrutiny he has caused on the LSU Athletic Department. The anger has little to do with basketball and much to do with potential NCAA penalties on the Bengal Tigers’ football program.
The fear is blatant rule violations by Wade may have caused what will become serious damage to LSU football. Clearly, LSU is confronting serious problems. The LSU football program has already self-imposed penalties in an effort to reduce later NCAA sanctions.
More serious issues haunt the LSU program. As reported by USA Today in January,
"LSU’s failure to adequately address sexual misconduct goes beyond one star running back (Derrius Guice, for multiple rape allegations). Officials in the university’s athletic department and broader administration repeatedly have ignored complaints against abusers, denied victims’ requests for protections and subjected them to further harm by known perpetrators."
In early March, LSU suspended two individuals the Baton Rouge Advocate called “high-ranking athletic department officials.” The longest of the two suspensions was 30 days. Apparently, LSU’s leaders believe the suspensions are an adequate remedy for the alleged sexual misconduct and domestic violence complaints against athletes.
Will Wade’s recruiting violations have been well documented, including his own words from FBI wiretaps. Bama Hammer provided a detailed review several months ago. The fact he is still employed by LSU is appalling.
The bigger mess in Baton Rouge goes beyond Wade. LSU fans may hate him for triggering FBI scrutiny, but the probable pain to come will have been caused by more than Will Wade.
LSU’s Trendon Watford was a longtime Alabama Basketball fan. Some Crimson Tide fans believe with Watford, Nate Oats’ team would be a Final Four lock. Getting that far without Watford would be even more satisfying.