re: Did LSU meet with Wade

quote:

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It’s a major violation to offer money to a recruit. If the evidence shows that a coach very likely made an offer, even if it can’t be shown the offer was paid, then that’s a major violation. I think a coach on tape, telling a friend that he made an offer for a recruit, qualifies as evidence that a coach very likely made an offer.

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If there's no further evidence, then what we have is the interpretation of Wade's words. Due to the long suspension, Wade has had a month to come up with an explanation of what he said.

If it were me, I would respond in this manner:
What exactly did you mean by "damn strong offer"?
"It was my recruiting pitch. I want to run a 3 guard offense, and I only had 2 starter and minimal depth available at guard. Smart was going to walk into a system where if he's not overwhelmed, he would get major minutes immediately, and become at least a part-time starter, and the first sub when he doesn't start.
I have one guard, Waters, as the primary point and centerpiece of the offense. I feel pretty confident that he will go pro soon, so by as early as next season, Smart would not only be the starting point guard, he'd be stepping into the spot that Waters plays. In other words, this would be his team and offense.
That, coupled with the fact that he doesn't have to leave his family and friends, and that he has several friends already on the roster, is a damn strong offer.

Can you explain what you meant by "the middle man wanted more for himself, and your offer was weighted more towards the family and mother?"
As I said, Smart coming here allows him access to family at any time, and allows his mother to see him, go to every game, etc. He doesn't get that anywhere else.
Regarding what the middleman wanted... let's be frank here. These shoe reps want to market merchandise, that's why they get involved with top players.
Smart is an excellent player, and with the right development he can be a star. You saw that in the Tennessee game, he dominated against a Top Five team.
You do that for LSU or Auburn, you make the Sportscenter highlights. You do that for someone like Duke, Kansas or Kentucky, that attention becomes magnified- and the more attention you get, the more marketable you become.

In this case, I found myself fighting against someone who was trying to sell the bigger name programs, for what I fully believe was the chance to get more exposure. If Javonte played at Duke or similar, and emerged as the top player, he would be immensely marketable, and the rep who gets that contract would get a piece of a bigger pie.

What I had to explain was that because of the depth of players at those schools, he would be less likely to get the limelight there. Whereas if he came here, he's going to almost be assured of being one of the big names; and with the system I'm running, we're capable of breaking through and winning (as we did this year). And with the wins, the attention will come here, just as it already does at places like Lexington.