LSU Basketball

LSU forward Shareef O'Neal, who transferred from UCLA in February, has received a waiver from the NCAA to begin playing immediately for the Tigers.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports first reported the news Wednesday. O'Neal soon confirmed it on Twitter.

O'Neal is the son of former LSU star and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. He missed the entire 2018-19 season because of a heart condition that required surgery, which was successful. O'Neal received a medical redshirt.

In the interim, UCLA underwent a coaching change with Cincinnati's Mick Cronin replacing the fired Steve Alford in April 2019. O'Neal played sparingly last year, averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game. He announced his decision to leave on January 22.

It looks like he'll have a greater impact on the Tigers' rotation based off head coach Will Wade's comments on Off the Bench Wednesday (h/t Billy Embody of 247Sports).

"Shareef has just been playing tremendously. We had our last scrimmage yesterday. Rebounded the ball well. He can really, really help us. Been very, very pleased with his growth. He's an unbelievably talented player. You look at where he was coming out of high school, just hadn't played a lot in two years because of the surgeries and different situations and circumstances, he just hasn't played a lot, but boy now that he's starting to get the feel and in practice, he can really, really shoot the ball.

"I would equate him to Aaron Epps, who we had our first year. Just an offensive rebounder, shooter, mixes it up. I think that's a good comparison for him."

247Sports ranked O'Neal, who went to Crossroads School in Los Angeles, as the No. 8 power forward and 41st-best prospect in the class of 2018 on its composite list. He had previously signed a letter of intent with Arizona before decommitting and agreeing to join the Bruins.

LSU's season is scheduled to begin next Wednesday in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the Golden Window Tournament against the University of San Francisco.

LSU head basketball coach Will Wade reportedly made or proposed "impermissible payments" to at least 11 potential Tigers recruits based on information received by the NCAA.

ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported Wednesday that NCAA enforcement staff documents allege Wade "arranged for, offered and/or provided impermissible payments, including cash payments, to at least 11 men's basketball prospective student-athletes, their family members, individuals associated with the prospects and/or nonscholastic coaches in exchange for the prospects' enrollment at LSU."

Wade was suspended by LSU in March 2019 after Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel reported on a recorded phone conversation between the Tigers coach and Christian Dawkins about a "strong-ass offer" made to a recruit.

He was reinstated one month later.

"I would like to express my appreciation," Wade said in a statement. "... And I sincerely apologize to the university and our fans for the disruption to the university and the program."

The reinstatement included adjustments to his contract with the school, including the ability for LSU to fire him with cause if he was later found to have committed Level I or Level II violations by the NCAA, per Schlabach.

NCAA vice president of enforcement Jonathan Duncan wrote a letter July 15 in an effort to transfer the case to the Independent Accountability Resolution Process for a final decision, according to the ESPN report:

"Many of those factors are triggered by the actions of Will Wade, head men's basketball coach at Louisiana State University. Some of his underlying actions gave rise to this case and his tactics during the investigation have delayed resolution dramatically. He is employed in a leadership position at LSU, yet the institution has been unable to secure his full cooperation and is accountable for his behavior."

Wade has guided LSU to a 67-32 record since taking over the program in 2017. He previously served as the head coach at Chattanooga and VCU. His teams have compiled a 158-77 overall mark with three NCAA tournament appearances in seven years.

The Tigers were on track to earn a March Madness berth this past season before the event was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

LSU Tigers forward Courtese Cooper was arrested in Illinois on Saturday morning and charged with possession of a controlled substance, according to Amie Just of The Advocate.

Per that report, LSU has suspended him indefinitely from the basketball team. 

Cooper was released by Glendale Heights police after posting $300 bond. 

The 21-year-old has spent the last two seasons at LSU after transferring from Triton College, an Illinois junior college. He was redshirted in the 2018-19 campaign before appearing in 11 contests last season, averaging 1.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per game.

"He's improved a ton since he's gotten here. He's improved a lot during the year," LSU head coach Will Wade said before the SEC Tournament, per Billy Embody of 247Sports.com. "He's good defensively, he can make layups, he finishes around the rim. He's our best screener, he screens really well on offense. He does some stuff that can help us, and we'll continue to keep using him."

Amirah O'Neal, the daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, announced her college basketball commitment Thursday to her father's alma mater LSU.

She posted the decision on Instagram. Her brother, Shareef O'Neal, confirmed in February he was transferring from UCLA to the Tigers.

"One of the most difficult decisions for a person my age to make, is the jump from high school to college," Amirah wrote. "Although I don't fully know what's ahead of me, I am ready for the challenge. I never imagined myself saying this, but I am excited to say that I have decided to commit to being a student-athlete at LSU alongside my brother Shareef. I am sooooo grateful to spend my next four years as a Tiger."

The 18-year-old Los Angeles native will be a member of the Tigers' 2020 recruiting class. The 6'3" center has been a standout performer for Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California, averaging 17.2 points.

"[She] was an Honorable Mention selection to the MaxPreps 2019 California All-State Girls Basketball Team, as well as the Cal-Hi Sports Division IV All-State Team," per 247Sports.

LSU has yet to announce the signing, though the program added TCU transfer Ryann Payne on Wednesday.

Shaq spent three seasons with the Tigers from 1989 through 1992 before leaving to get selected first overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. The 7'1" center averaged 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.6 blocks while shooting 61 percent from the field across 90 collegiate appearances.

"It's like we told him, 'You're going to make your own name here,'" LSU men's head coach Will Wade said about the Shareef signing. "Shaq's really excited. He was excited for him to come here. He's excited to see where things go."

Wade added, "The name O'Neal is a part of LSU basketball history."

Amirah will attempt to further that legacy starting next season.

LSU forward Trendon Watford is declaring for the 2020 NBA draft, he confirmed to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

"I am announcing my decision to declare for the NBA draft," Watford said. "Thank you to all who have supported me throughout all the years and a special thanks to my family and friends who have been along this journey."

Watford also shared a statement on Twitter:

According to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein, Watford's brother indicated he plans to retain his eligibility should he want to return to the Tigers for the 2020-21 season.

Watford averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds as a true freshman while shooting 48.9 percent from the field.

He helped put the Tigers in a position to reach the NCAA tournament had the COVID-19 pandemic not forced the cancellation of the event. ESPN's Joe Lunardi projected LSU to be a No. 7 seed in the Big Dance.

"The last four weeks have been tough," Watford said to Givony. "Not being able to compete with my brothers for a SEC championship and possibly a national championship hurt, but I do understand this pandemic and know our health comes first."

Leaving the door open to resume his college career would be a smart decision.

Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski reported some teams are pushing the NBA to move the draft back from its scheduled date of June 25. Among the concerns is the inability to conduct any in-person evaluations or workouts with draft-eligible prospects.

Watford would likely benefit from the traditional showcase events leading up to the draft. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman left the 6'9" power forward off his most recent mock draft, and he was absent in Wasserman's big board as well.

Watford put up solid numbers, and his 2.2 three-pointers per game (26.9 percent from beyond the arc) illustrates his willingness to stretch the floor. His long-range shooting obviously has a lot of room for improvement, though, which is something he could address were he to spend a second year at LSU.

Having Watford would also put the Tigers in a position to improve next season. The team is losing leading scorer Skylar Mays, but head coach Will Wade has put together the No. 6 recruiting class in 247Sports' composite team rankings for 2020.

LSU head basketball coach Will Wade remains on solid footing following Tuesday's airing of the HBO documentary The Scheme. 

"We are aware of the documentary first aired on March 31, 2020, on HBO," Tigers athletic director Scott Woodward said, per Amie Just of the Times-Picayune. "There is no change to Coach Will Wade's employment status at LSU and we will continue to cooperate with all reviews into this matter."

CBSSports.com's Matt Norlander noted The Scheme included the audio from FBI wiretaps of a conversation between Wade and Christian Dawkins in which Wade discussed illicit payments for a prospective recruit.

Yahoo Sports first reported on the wiretaps in March 2019. 

The FBI taped the 2017 conversation during its investigation into corruption in college basketball. During the call, Wade outlined a "strong-ass offer" for a recruit believed to be Javonte Smart. Smart was the No. 35 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and signed with the Tigers.

"The problem was, I know why he didn’t take it now, it was [expletive] tilted toward the family a little bit," Wade said to Dawkins. "It was tilted toward taking care of the mom, taking care of the kid. Like it was tilted towards that. Now I know for a fact he didn’t explain everything to the mom. I know now, he didn’t get enough of the piece of the pie in the deal."

Following the reporting on the wiretaps, LSU suspended Wade indefinitely effective March 8, 2019. The school reinstated the coach a little over a month later. In a statement, then-athletic director Joe Alleva said Wade had met with officials from LSU and the NCAA and "denied any wrongdoing."

After watching The Scheme, however, some wondered how much longer Wade will be employed at LSU:

Others were more skeptical about the documentary's impact given the fact Wade wasn't let go already:

Woodward's statement seemingly erases any doubt for the time being.

LSU went 21-10 in 2019-20 and likely would've made the 2020 NCAA tournament if the event hadn't been canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger reported in April 2019 the Tigers amended his contract in the wake of the FBI investigation. Under the new deal, the school can fire him with cause if the NCAA finds Level I or II violations within the program. Wade would also be unable to sue LSU in the event he's fired due to NCAA violations.

Former UCLA forward Shareef O'Neal announced Friday he will transfer to LSU.

The son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, he appeared in 13 games in 2019-20, averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds. His best effort came in a loss to Notre Dame when he had eight points, 11 rebounds and a block, but he was rarely able to come close to that success again.

After seeing limited action in the first few months of this season, he announced his decision to transfer January 22.

O'Neal initially committed to UCLA in 2018, when Steve Alford was the team's head coach before the school fired him. O'Neal couldn't play in his first season because of an anomalous coronary artery, which required open-heart surgery.

"He could've died from it," his mother, Shaunie, said in June 2019, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN.

Shareef was medically cleared to return to the court last March after he took a red-shirt season, but he had a difficult time in getting consistent minutes during his first full collegiate year.

O'Neal, rated a 4-star recruit and the No. 41 overall player in the 2018 class by 247Sports, was a prize when UCLA landed him. With increased time since his heart surgery, the 6'9", 220-pound forward should get a chance to showcase his talent in a new location.

There will also be a chance to continue a legacy at LSU after Shaq starred for the school from 1989-92 as a two-time All-American.

When Shareef does suit up with the Tigers, he should immediately be a key part of the rotation and a potential impact player before his career is up.

Shareef O'Neal has given himself until March 20 to make a decision on which school he'll transfer to next season. That process is kicking off in earnest this weekend, as the son of Shaquille O'Neal is visiting his father's alma mater: LSU. 

According to 247Sports, the younger O'Neal is meeting with the Tigers and head coach Will Wade as he looks to restart his college career.

O'Neal was a prized 4-star recruit for UCLA and then-coach Steve Alford after originally committing to Pac-12 rival Arizona. The 6'9", 205-pound forward decided not to join the Wildcats amid a then-ongoing FBI case into paying players encompassing the school's head coach, Sean Miller. 

That same scandal roped in Wade, as well, making O'Neal's decision to visit LSU at least slightly peculiar. 

The 20-year-old has suffered numerous setbacks since making the move to college ball. His true freshman season ended shortly before the Bruins began playing due to a heart condition diagnosed by the UCLA staff. O'Neal underwent surgery to correct the issue in December 2018 and was issued a medical redshirt. By the time he was able to return to the court, Alford had been fired by the school and replaced with Mick Cronin. 

Under his new coach, O'Neal struggled to see the floor, with Cronin electing against using the forward in five different games this season. After averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game, O'Neal announced his decision to transfer, noting he would finish the spring quarter at UCLA before leaving the campus. 

Cameron Thomas committed to the LSU Tigers over the UCLA Bruins on Monday, explaining his decision to ESPN's Jeff Borzello:  

"Coach [Will] Wade was very consistent in the recruiting process. Always staying in contact with both me and my mother. We are very close. Her being comfortable was important to me. When we visited back in September, we watched the team practice—got to know the guys on the team more. Since then they have been in constant contact with me or my mother everyday. His consistency in the recruiting process was a big difference."

Thomas is a 5-star recruit and the 25th-best overall prospect nationally, per 247Sports. Evan Daniels of 247Sports compared the 6'3", 180-pound guard out of Oak Hill Academy (VA) to Anfernee Simons of the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Daniels also offered an evaluation: 

"Average size for the position. Despite his lack of strength scores it well through contact. Has long arms, good quickness and solid athletic ability. Is a confident and effective driver. Tricky with the ball in his hands and does an impressive job of creating space off the bounce for shot opportunities. He’s a good shooter from mid-range out to three, both off the bounce and off the catch. There’s potential here as a defender, as he’s quick laterally, has good length and fine instincts. Should develop into an NBA draft pick."

Thomas received offers from other programs including Connecticut, Florida and NC State.

Borzello noted Thomas is Wade's fourth 5-star recruit in the past three recruiting classes.

LSU men's basketball head coach Will Wade was suspended by the school in March while it investigated potential recruiting violations. He missed both the SEC and NCAA tournaments, though he was reinstated in April after meeting with LSU and NCAA officials.

On Tuesday, Wade spoke about the situation and regrets he had over how he handled it, telling reporters he was ready to "start the process of rebuilding trust."

"As I've had time to reflect since I was out for 40 days or so—there were some mistakes that I made," he said, per Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com. "But ever since that, since I was able to sit down and talk to LSU and the NCAA, I was fully cooperative."

"I wish, looking back on things, we could have gotten into a room together a lot quicker than we did," he added. "That was my mistake. I respect LSU's decision based on that."

In March, ESPN and Yahoo Sports reported that federal prosecutors had a wiretap that they said had Wade talking over his frustration after making a "strong-ass offer" for 5-star recruit Javonte Smart but not finalizing it.

Former Arizona Wildcats assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson—who has since pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery in the federal investigation into college basketball recruiting—also claimed during the trial that Wade said he had a $300,000 deal for recruit Naz Reid lined up.

Wade denied those accusations. He was also asked if money had ever exchanged hands during a recruitment of a player, including Smart, but sidestepped the question.

"It's a good question," Wade said. "I can't get into the specifics of everything, like I was saying earlier. I can assure you in my meetings with LSU and the NCAA, I've addressed all the media reports and what was said and I was reinstated."

Without Wade, the Tigers were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament, though they did make the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tourney before losing to Michigan State, 80-63.

Wade, 36, has spent two seasons at LSU, going 43-20 and winning a regular-season title this year. In six total seasons as a college coach at Chattanooga, VCU and LSU, he's gone 134-65 and led his team to three NCAA tournament appearances.