Will Wade, LSU Officials to Meet on Friday After Being Suspended 34 Days Ago

With LSU basketball head coach Will Wade's suspension extending now beyond the 2018-19 season, the two sides are reportedly ready to sit down and talk. 

Per Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger, Wade will meet with LSU and NCAA officials Friday.

Robert Munson, the university's senior associate athletic director, provided a statement to Dellenger, saying, "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."

The 36-year-old coach was suspended indefinitely March 8 after Wade declined to speak with officials about a 2017 FBI wiretap that caught him discussing "offers" with Christian Dawkins, a middleman in basketball recruiting who has since been sentenced to six months in prison.

Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports first reported on the scandal on March 7. The only player mentioned by name during the intercepted conversation was freshman guard Javonte Smart, but the context is vague, with Wade simply referring to "this Smart thing."

Smart was suspended for just one game against Vanderbilt on March 9. He was reinstated and cleared to play ahead of the SEC tournament following his full cooperation. Earlier on Thursday, the former top-50 recruit declared for the NBA draft through a lengthy post on Instagram. 

Wade reportedly has not been as forthcoming to this point, even though the "offers" he was discussing have not officially been dubbed as violating NCAA policy. However, Dellenger laid out the road to potential reconciliation:

"Just four weeks ago, the two sides seemed leagues apart. Wade even responded to a public ultimatum from the school—talk or remain suspended—by releasing a statement calling the university’s decision 'inappropriate,' but two recent developments may have been catalysts for a meeting.

"On Friday, federal prosecutors filed a motion asking a judge to prevent Wade from testifying at an upcoming bribery trial in the FBI’s investigation into the seedy underworld of college basketball. ... The other advancement in the case came in the form of an addition to Wade’s team of attorneys. Steven Thompson, a Chicago-based lawyer known for his work with coaches on NCAA matters, joined the group to lead the coach’s NCAA infractions counsel." 

Dellenger noted the specific details of Friday's meeting remain unclear. 

Without Wade, LSU forged ahead with interim coach Tony Benford. The Tigers' season ended with a loss to Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen.