Renardo Sidney gets cleared academically

As Andy Katz reported earlier today, Renardo Sidney has been cleared by the NCAA Eligibility Center to enroll at Mississippi State. He will be on campus in time for the first day of classes.

Whoop-de-doo.

It doesn't mean that he will be playing basketball for the Bulldogs this year.

You see, the issue for Sidney has never been academic eligibility. True, there were some doubters, but the bigger problem for him is his standing as an amateur. Specifically, how was his family able to afford rent a house for $4,000-$5,000 a month?

Renardo Sidney has been cleared academically.
(photo credit: LA Times)

To be honest, Sidney will probably eventually be cleared to play at some point this season. The NCAA doesn't like lawsuits. If Sidney is not allowed to lay, you can be fairly certain that the Sidney family will file a lawsuit against the NCAA. As is true with most major college sports programs, MSU has the funds to be able to hire a high-powered attorney to argue their case (case in point, his family has already retained Donald Jackson to represent their interests).

And the Sidney family may have a case. The issue right now seems to be who holds the burden of proof. Do the Sidney's have to proof that they were able to, among other things, pay the rent on their house through NCAA-legal means; or does the NCAA have to prove that they weren't?

Regardless of whether or not Sidney is cleared, Mississippi State is going to be good this year. The Bulldogs return essentially their entire team, including senior center and defensive stalwart Jarvis Varnado. Combine that with a talented group of perimeter players, and the Bulldogs have enough to stay in and around the top 25 all year long.

But if Sidney (and to a lesser extent John Riek) can get eligible, you are looking at a team that should be expected to win the SEC West, and should compete with Kentucky for the outright SEC title.

You see, Sidney brings such a unique skill set to the table. He is a well-rounded offensive player with an excellent face-up game, and is the perfect compliment to a shot-blocker like Varnado along the front line.

But back to the point, if I'm a Mississippi State fan, I would expect Sidney's case to be drawn out (the NCAA has a habit of doing that) before he is eventually cleared to play; essentially, Sidney would receive a de facto suspension.