04/26/24
May 04, 2009
A Bad Feeling: Immediately after Renardo Sidney announced he would go to USC to play basketball, the future Trojan and his family celebrated with over 100 family members and an estimated catering bill of nearly two thousand dollars. Just a little over two months later, USC rescinded their offer, just as UCLA did in Februray, both citing possible violations and money issues. Former USC coach George Raveling said "It's highly unusual for both of those schools to abandon their recruitment of a player of that caliber and potential," and "They must know something the rest of us don't know."
posted by BoKnows to basketball at 10:20 PM - 2 comments
Bruins and Trojans sources both say they were wary of potentially intense NCAA scrutiny prompted by these issues: Despite what was perceived as a limited income, the family moved multiple times and resided in upscale homes during Sidney's high school years; and stepfather Renardo Sr. directed a club basketball team with financial backing that was unclear beyond a relatively modest shoe company sponsorship. Plus there was this: A source intimately familiar with Sidney's recruitment said a university official thought the stepfather had strongly hinted that he expected to be compensated if his son signed with the school.
Definitely more trouble than he's worth.
posted by irunfromclones at 02:30 PM on May 07, 2009
This is another look at the muck in which the lotus of big-time NCAA basketball grows. I guess that Miss State feels that if there are any problems with the kid's eligibility, they would affect only his enrollment at USC or UCLA.
On another note, judging by the picture accompanying the article, this kid might turn into the power forward that ate Mississippi. I can see him easily turning into a 300+ pound, immobile fixture rather than an athlete. Glen Davis had somewhat the same problem at LSU, but when he got to the NBA, he was coached into dropping weight and improving his game. The result is obvious with Davis, but what about Sidney's ability to accept such coaching?