Former LSU Coach Will Wade Is Headed Back to March Madness, but Not the Tigers

LAKE CHARLES, La. (103.3 The GOAT) - Will Wade is headed back to the Big Dance, but this time, it's not going to be with the LSU Tigers.

The former LSU coach is now leading the McNeese State University Cowboys, who are headed to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, having drawn the No. 12-seed slot. They'll be taking on No.5-seed Gonzaga. Tip-off will be at 6:25 p.m. on Thursday.

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The Cowboys will step onto the floor of the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

It's been an interesting journey for Wade, who was at the center of a recruiting scandal while at LSU. He was fired after the NCAA leveled serious accusations about Wade and the Tigers basketball program. It was the second time he was unable to coach the team in the tournament, the first being when it was revealed he was at the center of a federal wiretapping case.

After a brief stint out of the public eye, however, Wade was hired by McNeese.

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Will Wade Suspended for His First 5 Games at McNeese

The Cowboys, who are 30-3 for the season, will be making their first appearance in the Big Dance for the first time since 2002. It's only the third time in school history the school has qualified for the nation's biggest postseason tournament.

The 12-seed is "the highest for a Cowboys' program and also matches the highest seed for a Southland Conference team in the last 40 years (SFA in 2014 and 2015)," according to McNeese Athletics.

Gonzaga ended the season ranked No. 17 in the AP poll. The school finished second in the West Coast Conference, having fallen to Saint Mary's in the WCC Tournament Championship game, 69-60.

Gonzaga is the favorite to win the game, but only by about 6-7 points, according to Fox Sports. But McNeese is aggressive on defensive and likes to force a lot of turnovers, which could cause some problems for the Bulldogs.

Of course, one of the most exciting aspects of March Madness is the underdog factor. Here are some of the best underdog upsets in tournament history.