As expected, Renardo Sidney and Dee Bost don't change Mississippi State

Renardo Sidney made his triumphant return to the Mississippi State basketball team on Saturday afternoon.

Just two weeks after an ugly brawl in the stands of the Lahaina Civic Center during the Diamond Head Classic -- a fight that was caught by ESPN's cameras -- Sidney was back in uniform for the Bulldogs.

So how did he do?

Ehh. I've seen better.

Sidney finished the game with two points on 1-8 shooting from the field. He also committed five turnovers and, since he is still out of shape, allowed JaMychal Green to score 14 of his 16 points in the second half as Alabama turned a 27-26 halftime lead into a 75-57 win in the SEC opener for both teams.

Saturday's game also marked the debut of Dee Bost, the MSU point guard that declared for the draft last season only to pull his name back out after the deadline had passed. Bost played a bit better than Sidney, finishing with 14 points and five assists, although his 5-16 shooting performance and three turnovers were less than promising.

All told, Stansbury lost by 18 at home to an Alabama team that isn't expected to contend for anything beyond a .500 record in SEC play with his team at full strength. I'm sure Stansbury saw it going much differently in his head when he decided to take on Sidney and rework his entire season around the return of his two "stars".

Who wants to bet that Stansbury is regretting the personnel decisions he's made the past two years?

At this point, I'll refer you back to what I wrote here.
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Rick Stansbury won the offseason

I doubt you will find any coach that earned his salary more than Rick Stansbury did this summer.

He managed to help convince Renardo Sidney to get back into shape. He threw a Roy Halladay curveball to the NCAA, convincing them to reinstate his star point guard Dee Bost. And now, he's managed to rig Mississippi State's schedule so that he will play every single SEC game at full strength.

Rick Stansbury won the offseason.
(photo credit: The State)

Renardo Sidney is going to miss the first nine games of the season regardless of when they are played. Dee Bost is academically ineligible for the first semester, but if he gets his act together in the classroom, he will become eligible Dec. 11th. Well, that's not exactly true, as Bost will be begin to serve his nine-game suspension on that date.

So what did Stansbury do?

He moved a game against Alabama State from Dec. 4th to Dec. 14th so that it will count against Bost's suspension. Then, he landed a date with St. Mary's in Las Vegas on Dec. 29th, which will be Mississippi State's last game before SEC play begins, doubling as the ninth game of Bost's suspension. The end result: Mississippi State will play the bulk of their schedule with Sidney on the roster (their first nine games are against a bunch of low-majors schools at home) and will be at full strength for the duration of SEC play.

Stansbury also added a scrimmage for Dec. 15th so that Sidney will play some game minutes before kicking off his collegiate career against a top 25 team in Virginia Tech.

The schedule changes did make things difficult, however. By moving the Alabama State game to Dec. 14th, Stansbury's club will be playing four games in four games. The scrimmage, then, will essentially create a fifth game in five days. Their game with St. Mary's comes on the back end of a trip that takes them to a Dec. 18th date with Virginia Tech in the Bahamas, to Honolulu for the Diamond Head Classic, which takes place from Dec. 22nd-25th, and finally to Vegas for their Dec. 29th date.

It won't be easy, but Stansbury certainly put his team in great position to make a run at the SEC West title.

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Dee Bost is cleared, suspended by the NCAA

In a fairly shocking turn of events, the NCAA has reinstated Mississippi State point guard Dee Bost.

If you remember, Bost declared for the NBA Draft, withdrawing after the deadline. He was also unaware of a rule change that does not allow players to return to college if they go undrafted and don't sign with an agent.

Bost is currently academically ineligible. He will face a nine game suspension, starting once the fall semester is over, if he can get himself academically eligible for the spring, meaning that Bost will likely miss the start of SEC play.

Dee Bost will play this season
(photo credit: Life.com)

This is huge for the Bulldogs. Bost is one of the best point guards in the conference and has started all 72 games in his two years in Starksville. If he is back to himself for the stretch run, this team could make a run at a tournament bid, especially considering Renardo Sidney will be returning for their tenth game.

That's not necessarily the issue here. The issue here is that Bost declared for the NBA Draft, missed the deadline to withdraw from the draft, and made it seem like he was pretty intent on staying in*. When he didn't get drafted, he tried to return to school using a rule he didn't know was eliminated. To the outside observer, it look likes Bost played the NCAA like a violin.

*(From Kyle Veazey's blog at the Clarion Ledger: "Bost says he hasn't 'fully yet' hired an agent and also hasn't worked out for any NBA teams. 'Overseas is an option, but I'm going to bust my tail to do well in the workouts,' Bost said." Sounds like he wanted to go pro, does it not?)

The NCAA is setting a dangerous precedent here. What happens the next time a player that has declared for the draft applies for reinstatement saying they were unaware of a rule? Maybe that player claims he didn't know the limits on his relationship with an agent. Maybe he claims that he was under the assumption the deadline was the same as it was the year before. Whatever it ends up being, where does the NCAA draw the line? Can they really deny eligibility to the next Dee Bost?

A deadline is supposed to be a deadline. Ignorance of a rule is not supposed to be a defense. Neither is ignorance in general. Based on the facts, it does not seem like Bost should be allowed to continue to play college basketball.

The ironic part in all of this?

The rule that Bost broke -- keeping his name in the draft past the NCAA's May 8th deadline -- is an absolutely atrocious rule. This year, players had, more or less, a single weekend to schedule their workouts. Why would the NCAA force a kid to make possibly the most important decision of his life, whether or not to leave school, with out being able to gather all the facts?

Oh. That's right. Because the coaches -- the same coaches that make six and seven, and some even eight, figure salaries off of these amateur athletes -- did not want to continue to worry about filling a roster spot if a player left his name in the draft. Like I said. Atrocious.

But the rule is the rule and the deadline is the deadline, regardless of how absurd it is.

Everyone should have to follow it, not just the ones that can't come up with the best argument or find the biggest loophole.
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Confusion over Dee Bost and his return to Mississippi State

Last year, the NCAA dragged its feet with their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Renardo Sidney's amateur eligibility.

This season, the NCAA is once again looking into a Mississippi State player's eligibility.

Dee Bost had a solid, if unspectacular, sophomore campaign with the Bulldogs, averaging about 13 points and 5 assists per game. He, along with back court mate Ravern Johnson, decided to enter to NBA Draft this offseason.

Only time will tell is Dee Bost can get eligible at Mississippi State.
(photo credit: B/R)

This is were the story gets a bit murky. You see, most have believed that Bost tried to remove his name from the draft after the May 8th deadline had passed. His argument? He didn't know the rule had changed, which is far from a valid excuse.

But according to Andy Katz, that isn't exactly true. Apparently, the rule Bost claims he didn't understand was that undrafted players that don't sign with agents can no longer return to school. If you remember, Randolph Morris did just that a few years back, returning to Kentucky after going undrafted, then getting signed by the Knicks just days after his final season ended.

This story is a bit more believable, but -- as you should expect in cases like this -- there is more. From the Katz story:

According to a source with knowledge of the case, the NCAA has questions about who paid for Bost to work out in Las Vegas for a three-week period while he was supposedly prepping for the draft. The NCAA has asked for phone records and check receipts from Bost to see how the trip was paid for.

That would, obviously, be a bigger problem and more than just an honest mistake.

If Bost was allowed to return, he would immediately make the Bulldogs the favorite in the weak SEC West, combining with Johnson and big men Sidney, Kodi Augustus, and John Riek to form a team with an outside shot of making a run at a tournament bid.
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Dee Bost's argument: I'm a moron

Yesterday, we talked briefly about how Dee Bost was applying for reinstatement after keeping his name in the NBA Draft passed the May 8th deadline to return to school.

Today, we found out his reasoning: he didn't know that the rule had changed, which is, in a word, ludicrous. The NCAA announced this change publicly, and created quite an outcry. Much was written about the rule change when it happened last summer, and even more words were dedicated to the change in the days leading up to the deadline.

Mississippi State will likely still need a replacement for Bost.
(photo credit: daylife)

And should I mention that Ravern Johnson, a teammate of Bost's at Mississippi State, entered the draft as well this year, and pulled his name out in time to return to school?

Clearly, Johnson was aware of the rule.

The only way that I can see Bost being unaware of this rule is if he completely disregarded and ignored anything that the Mississippi State coaching staff said to him once the season ended. I guess this is actually a possibility, seeing as Bost didn't even let Rick Stansbury know he had kept his name in the draft until the day after the deadline.

And if that is/was the case, is that the kind of player you want on your roster even if Bost is given a waiver by the NCAA?

The May 8th deadline is a horrific rule. Given kids just over a week to make one of the biggest decisions of their lives -- and not allowing them a basis to make an informed decision, i.e. the difficulty in landing workouts during that time frame -- is a horrendous move that was made to appease coaches.

But regardless of how I, you, or Dee Bost feel about the new rule, its still the rule.

And I find it highly unlikely that the NCAA will grant him a waiver for simply saying "I'm sorry NCAA, I didn't know I couldn't do that".

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Dee Bost is applying for reinstatement to Mississippi State

As is the case every season, we saw quite a few kids make questionable decisions regarding the NBA Draft. But perhaps the most curious case was that of Mississippi State's Dee Bost.

Bost is an above average point guard in the SEC, averaging 13.0 ppg and 5.2 apg for the Bulldogs as a sophomore. That said, he isn't an NBA prospect yet and likely would go undrafted this season.

I knew that. The Mississippi State coaching staff likely knew that. Bost's advisors likely knew that. Yet he still decided to keep him name in the draft past the May 8th deadline to withdraw. Further complicating the issue, Bost didn't even tell head coach Rick Stansbury of his decision until the next day.

Mississippi State will likely still need a replacement for Bost.
(photo credit: daylife)

It appears that Bost has finally come to the conclusion that entering the draft was a poor decision, because he has enrolled in summer classes at Mississippi State, according to Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger. He plans on applying for reinstatement to the NCAA.

Now lets be honest. Its a longshot that Bost gets reinstated. The NCAA generally doesn't grant waivers for listening to the wrong people.

That said, I cannot think of another situation where a player waited until after the deadline to withdraw from the draft and then tried to regain his eligibility. (If you remember, Randolph Morris, a center for Kentucky, declared for the NBA Draft in 2005 after his freshman season and went undrafted. He was allowed to return to school, but since he could not enter another draft, he was legally a free agent. Five days after Kentucky was eliminated from the 2007 NCAA Tournament, Morris signed with the New York Knicks.) Bost does have an argument -- the NCAA's deadline to withdraw gave players just 10 days to determine their status, something that myself and many other writers argued against.

But the reason that the deadline was implemented was so that coaches would be able to know who was on their teams for the upcoming season before the late signing period ended. If the NCAA clears Bost, it only opens the door for other players to do the same next season. Doesn't that, technically, eliminate the deadline?

Its a slippery slope, and a door that the NCAA likely won't open.

Good luck in Europe, Dee.

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2009-2010 Team Preview: Mississippi State Bulldogs

2008-2009 Record: 23-13, 9-7 SEC (t-5th)

Key Losses: None

Key Returners: Jarvis Varnado (12.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 4.7 bpg), Barry Stewart (12.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Ravern Johnson (12.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg), Dee Bost (10.9 ppg, 4.3 apg)

Newcomers: Renardo Sidney, John Riek, Shaunessy Smith, Charles Parker, Baxter Price, Wendell Lewis

Jarvis Varnado will be the nation's best shotblocker this season.
(photo credit: Seattle Times)

Without a doubt, Mississippi State is the toughest team in the country to predict right now. Why? Because two of their most important pieces - Renardo Sidney and John Riek - are enormous question marks.

At this point, everyone in the country should know the situation with Sidney. Originally from Mississippi, Sidney spent his last three years in high school in Southern California. It was there that the Sidney family might have gotten themselves in trouble as the NCAA is currently questioning his eligibility as an amateur (click here for more details). Sidney would easily be one of the best freshman in the country. Standing 6'10", 260 lb, Sidney is a complete package on the offensive end. He is able to score in the post, but his face-up and perimeter game is much more developed than most kids his age and size, to the point that it is his strength offensively. Riek is facing a different issue. He has already been cleared to play by the NCAA (after he sits out the first nine games), but he has knee problems. When he was healthy two summers ago, many people had Riek pegged as a lottery pick, and possibly even the first overall pick. Standing 7'2", Riek will be a great addition to the Bulldogs, not only as another shot blocking presence, but to provide depth in the front court.

With Sidney and a healthy Riek joining Jarvis Varnado up front, these Bulldogs are a top 15 team. With them, they may not be the clear cut favorite in the weak SEC West.

Without those two, the Bulldog's fate is going to rest heavily on Varnado's shoulders. As you should know, Varnado is one of the most dominating defensive presences in the country. While standing just 6'9", he has long arms, exceptional timing and body control, and a quick second jump which makes a force around the rim. He will easily break Shaq's SEC record for blocked shots, and has a very real chance of setting the national record (535). Offensively, he is still developing. Varnado's frame is too thin, he has no left hand, and his offensive moves are mechanical, which is the main reason why adding a low post scoring threat like Sidney would be so beneficial for the Bulldogs.

There are four other big men on the Mississippi State roster whose minutes will vary depending on what happens with Sidney. The best of the group is probably 6'8" junior Kodi Augustus. Augustus, who came very close to transferring out of Mississippi State during the off-season, started early on in the season, but was benched midway through the year. Augustus has the ability to play out on the perimeter, giving coach Rick Stansbury some options if he wants to shuffle the line-up. Romero Osby should also see some minutes regardless of how the Sidney situation plays out. At 6'8" and a strong 230 lb, Osby is more of pure post than Augustus, but he can known down a perimeter jumper, which could help stretch the defense and create space inside. Junior Elgin Bailey and freshman Wendell Lewis are both big bodies that give the Bulldogs depth inside.

The perimeter is where the Bulldogs will get the majority of their scoring from. After Augustus was benched, Stansbury went to a four-guard line-up. One of the biggest reason this was successful was freshman point guard Dee Bost. Bost is a quick kid who can get by his defender and into the lane. He is not yet a great shooter, but Bost is fairly adept at drawing fouls as well as finding an open man. If he can cut down a bit on his turnovers (2.8 per game), Bost has a chance to be one of the best point guards in the south.

The Bulldogs have two solid scorers on the perimeter in senior Barry Stewart and junior Ravern Johnson. At 6'3", Stewart is more of on an all-around player. He gets to the line more, he's a better passer, and he is a better defender. That said, Johnson, who is the better shooter, is 6'7" and athletic, which allows Stansbury a bit of versatility with his line-ups. If he decides to go with four guards again, Johnson is the guy that will be forced to play inside. If Sidney does get eligible, the Bulldogs will likely go with a more traditional three guard line-up, using Phil Turner, who moved into a starting role after Augustus was benched, as a reserve. Turner is a tough kid. He is just 6'3", 170 lb, but Turner was the team's second leading rebounder at 5.5 rpg in just 24 mpg. Turner is a solid scorer, as he hit double figures 12 times last season. If Sidney gets eligible, Turner will be a dangerous option coming off the bench. Also expect junior Riley Benock, sophomore Twany Beckham, and freshman Shaunessy Smith to make a push for some back court minutes.

Outlook: As I said earlier, so much of what MSU does this season relies on the amateur standing of Renardo Sidney. If Sidney is granted eligibility by the NCAA, Mississippi State has a real chance of winning the SEC outright as they play in the much weaker West division. Without Sidney, this should still be an NCAA tournament team. Varnado is arguably the best defensive player in the country and the Bulldogs have a very underrated group of perimeter players. That should be enough for 22-25 wins and a bid.
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