(KATC) – Just because he’s not on the stand doesn’t mean Will Wade is in the clear.
Monday, as the second week of the college basketball corruption trial a video of Arizona assistant Emanuel “Book” Richardson was played where he’s talking to a financial advisor about a $300 deal Wade had offered Naz Reid. LSU and Arizona were Reid’s final two ahead of his commitment. In the video Richardson tells the advisor, Munish Sood, “I said, ‘Listen, s—, give me half that and I’ll make sure he goes there.'”
The video becomes third public incident tying the LSU basketball coach to pay-for-play deals.
Last October Wade was linked to a report involving Serbian standout Balsa Koprivica.
This spring an FBI wiretap conversation between and Christian Dawkins named Javonte Smart. LSU would suspend Wade following that report.
Earlier this month, Wade was finally reinstated by LSU’s no ex-athletic director Joe Alleva. Part of that agreement involved new contractual language that dealt with what LSU could do if Wade were penalized by the NCAA.
Wade and Arizona head coach Sean Miller were subpoenaed to testify in this second trial involving Christian Dawkins and Merl Code. (Both were sentenced in March on fraud and conspiracy charges)
On April 19, prosecutors filed a motion to keep both Wade and Miller off the stand out of fear the trial would turn into a referendum on college basketball’s bylaws.
