Interim LSU coach Kevin Nickelberry reveals why Will Wade firing won't impact NCAA Tournament run

Will Wade left behind an extremely difficult situation for Kevin Nickelberry and LSU. Wade was fired as the Tigers’ head basketball coach Saturday, forcing Nickelberry to lead the team into the NCAA Tournament as an interim coach.

The move came a few days after the NCAA provided a Notice of Allegations to the program of violations under Wade’s watch. The violations were too severe to retain him through the investigation under NCAA rules. It also happened one day before Selection Sunday, where LSU earned a six seed and will face Iowa State on Friday.

Nickelberry said in a Sunday press conference that though the Tigers find themselves facing a unique set of circumstances entering the tournament, he wants the players to focus on what got them there.

“This is easy for us,” the interim coach said. “Basketball is what we do. It’s been a tough couple of days, but at the end of the day, you’re asking us to go out and play basketball. We’ve been very successful this year playing basketball. So I’m excited. I know the kids are excited. They’ve earned the right to be here. I think they’ll do an unbelievable job of representing the university even in such a unique situation but more importantly a special opportunity. Not a lot of teams get to go dance. You’ve got some guys that will get a chance to go to the tournament and play a very talented Iowa State team. We’re going to get prepared like normal. We don’t have to make a lot of changed for a team that’s won a lot of games. This team is going to be ready to play. We’re gonna go out and play with heart, play with passion, but more importantly we’re gonna play for our school.”

It has been an up-and-down season for LSU, which was at one point 15-1 and ranked No. 12 in the AP poll. However, the Tigers fell apart for a brief stretch in conference play, losing six of seven games from Jan. 15 to Feb. 5. They rallied to close the season strong on the court until the recent news provided them another setback.

Kevin Nickelberry will look to put Will Wade’s departure out of his team’s mind as he leads them into the NCAA Tournament this weekend. The Tigers and Cyclones will tip off at 7:20 p.m. ET Friday in Milwaukee.

Notice of Allegations that led to Will Wade firing, Kevin Nickelberry interim position

The LSU Tigers received their Notice of Allegations from the NCAA regarding basketball head coach Will Wade earlier this week. The process is still a few months away from being resolved in a case that began all the way back in 2017, but the school felt a decision must come now.

Wade was caught on FBI wiretaps talking about a “strong-ass offer” extended to former On3 Consensus four-star prospect Javonte Smart as part of a larger case which landed multiple people in federal prison. The guard ended up playing three seasons for LSU, averaging exactly 13 points per game, before going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft.

LSU released the following statement on the investigation on Wednesday.

“Per NCAA rules and procedures, LSU is unable to comment on any aspect of the ongoing case,” the school wrote in its statement. “We will continue to cooperate fully with the IARP as we work together toward a resolution.”

The school had already self-imposed penalties. Those were meant to address the potential violations of the football program that are likely to be included in this notice. LSU put into effect a bowl ban for the 2020-2021 season and added to their scholarship restrictions.

On3’s James Fletcher contributed to this report.