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It will be old home week for McNeese State coach Will Wade. The 12th-seeded Cowboys open the NCAA Tournament in Providence, Rhode Island, on Thursday against No. 5 Clemson. That's Wade's alma mater and the place where he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Oliver Purnell. Wade's path has been anything but smooth. He was out of the college game for a year following his 2022 firing from LSU for alleged recruiting violations. McNeese State hired him following its 11th straight losing season. Wade's work has made him one of the hottest coaches.
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FILE - McNeese State head coach Will Wade signals to his players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Alabama, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. - AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File