It's going to be important for Will Wade to maintain a sense of humor when it comes to his return as head coach of the LSU Tigers. Recruiting violations stopped his first tenure with the Tigers, and after a year with NC State and weeks after saying he didn't want to go elsewhere, he signed a seven-year deal with LSU. The job is going to come with some scrutiny, but Wade was already cracking jokes on Thursday afternoon, according to On3 via X, formerly Twitter.
“I'm trying to follow more rules this time,” Wade cracked to reporters.
The good news for Wade is that there aren't as many rules to follow when it comes to recruiting. Cash payments were among the issues with Wade's violations, but they aren't a problem in the NIL landscape now. One of the reasons Wade left NC State for LSU was the additional budget he'll have to spend on recruiting players, which is ironic given the circumstances of his firing just four short years ago.
NC State was 50th in the recruiting rankings in Wade's first year in charge, according to 247 Sports, which could be a product of less budget. The Tigers were actually 23rd in the class, despite some struggles as a team recently, and a coach who didn't have the same stature. Given how the head coach recruited during his first tenure, albeit against the rules, it'll be interesting to see what he can do with LSU in an era when he can publicly pay recruits.
It might not be what NC State fans want to hear, but LSU Basketball could be on the rise again with Wade in charge.
