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Rafer Alston next to LSU coach Will Wade
Will Wade’s first stint as the head coach if LSU came to an end after he ended up at the center of an FBI investigation linked to recruiting violations. Now, he’s been accused of some unsavory behavior on that front ahead of his comeback with the Tigers, courtesy of a former NBA player who is not thrilled with his attempts to lure his son to Baton Rouge.
During the 2018-19 campaign, Will Wade had a breakout season during his second year at LSU, as the Tigers posted a 28-7 record and made it to the Sweet 16 to mark their best performance in the NCAA tournament in over a decade.
However, that run was marred by the five-game suspension Wade began to serve during the final game of the regular season after he was caught discussing a payment to a prospect on a federal wiretap.
He was ultimately reinstated the following season, but he was fired in 2022 after ending up at the center of an NCAA investigation where he was ultimately suspended for another 10 games while at the helm at McNeese (although he was cleared of the most serious allegations against him).
Wade had a one-and-done stint at NC State last season before deciding to reunite with LSU, and there are plenty of question marks about how the Tigers are going to fare after he overhauled a roster that doesn’t feature a single player who suited up for the team in the previous campaign.
As is the case with every college basketball coach, Wade is also looking beyond the upcoming season by courting up-and-coming high school recruits, including the son of a former NBA player (and streetball legend) who is very unhappy with the skipper.
Rafer Alston says he could take legal action after Will Wade ignored his requests to stop recruiting his son
Rafer Alston spent 11 seasons in the NBA with six different teams, and the New York City native made the leap to the league after making a name for himself as the streetball player known as “Skip To My Lou” on the AND1 Mixtape Tour.
His son, Reese, is currently a standout point guard who is gearing up for his senior year at Houston Second Baptist, and the five-star recruit has attracted the interest of top programs around the country.
That includes LSU, but according to Z Smart Hoops, the elder Alston has told Wade to back off after making it clear he does not want to see Reese play for LSU. However, that hasn’t stopped the coach from continuing his recruiting efforts, which led to the retired guard issuing a pretty vicious rebuke when given the chance to discuss the situation:
“I’m disgusted by how this whole process has played out.
Will Wade has operated in a disgusting manner. He is a sleazeball of an individual. I know there was a back alley deal involving PUMA, in which money was accepted without my authorization.”
Alston said his wife “may have accepted money as part of a gun-jumped process” and noted his legal team has been in contact with the NBA after Wade refused to honor his request to cut off contact more than three weeks ago.
If the amount of drama Wade has managed to generate at LSU before coaching a single game is any indication of how his new tenure is going to go, we should be in for quite the ride.