NC State University has opened an investigation into Will Wade's departure to LSU, according to a report from WRAL, a Raleigh-based news outlet.
According to the report:
NC State is now refusing to release LSU from potential legal action tied to Wade’s acrimonious departure while it looks into whether LSU violated the Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a North Carolina law that allows for damages and the recovery of attorneys’ fees. NC State said it has reason to believe LSU may have worked to help Wade avoid a larger buyout fee.
Wade resigned from NC State on March 25, eight days after the Wolfpack were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. LSU, whose season ended on March 11, made no public comments about the status of head coach Matt McMahon up to that point. Wade was introduced at LSU on the 26th, in a near-simultaneous announcement that McMahon was fired.
The lead-up to the official announcements was messy, at best. The reunion between Wade and LSU had been rumored for months, with mainstream reporting on the story picking up as LSU's season came to an end. At the ACC Tournament, Wade was asked point-blank about being linked to LSU, to which he said, "Is the job open there?" He went on to deny any involvement several times after that.
Wade's buyout was set to drop from $5 million to $3 million on April 1, but the schools ultimately met in the middle at $4 million. The buyout remains a point of contention and the basis for NC State's investigation. It's yet another unprecedented situation worth monitoring in college athletics.
In recruiting news, Pepperdine landed a commitment from four-star forward Alex Constanza. Constanza, a top-60-ranked prospect, was previously committed to Georgetown.
Constanza is the second four-star prospect to commit to a mid-major in recent days, joining Christian Gibson, who committed to Utah Tech last week.
Other notable commitments: Ricards Azpurs (Italy) to TCU | Oliver Kullamae (Estonia) to San Jose State | Trey Harris (West Virginia State) to Tarleton State
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