POOR JIMMER

I'm a 6'9, 240 pound sophomore at Brigham Young University. In high school I was the big man on campus- literally. School has always been important to my family so I made sure to get excellent grades. At Provo High we won games...a lot of them. Sophomore and junior year we won the Utah state championship. My stellar play didn't go un-noticed as the recruiting process was pretty hectic. I had dozens of shoe boxes full of letters from schools wanting me to sign. I had full-ride offers from Penn State, Cal, Gonzaga...but decided to stay close to home at BYU. My freshman year took some adjusting which I was told would happen, managing 15 credits and being a D1 basketball player is no joke. We would leave Wednesday for a road trip and get back Sunday...missing three days of class. I continued to work hard and earned the team academic excellence award, not bad while also playing in 35 games. Oh yeah and the winning ways continued. We went 30-6 and I played in my first NCAA tourny!

After working hard all spring and summer on the court, in the weight room. My game feels much improved from a year ago. This sophomore season honestly couldn't be going any better. We have the best player in the nation on our team, Jimmer! This dude's game is so dirty sometimes I wipe my eyes to make sure it's not a dream. Jimmer torches everybody, dropping 30 or 40 on teams like it's nobody's business! Did I mention my dude is a white boy? I was glad he came back for his senior year and didn't go into the draft last summer. I didn't know how big my role would be after my freshman year, but I'm very happy with the way I've been playing. I'm starting at center, leading our team in rebounds and scoring well. Our team is killing and I mean DOIN WORK! I'm wondering if things can honestly get any better? We just beat #4 in the nation San Diego State and we are sitting at an astounding 27-2 with Digger Phelps talking about us being a 1 seed in the NCAA TOURNY!

BREAKING NEWS: BYU STARTING CENTER BRANDON DAVIES DISMISSED FROM TEAM FOR REST OF THE SEASON.

The news of the dismissal of BYU starting center Brandon Davies from the team is sweeping the nation. People who are basketball junkies like me...well basketball has basically done everything for me up until this point in my life. When Growing up I went to school every single day so I could go to basketball practice that night. My parents said, if I'm too sick for school then I'm sure as hell too sick to practice. In high school I had dreams to play college basketball like everyone else and their dog, so my motivation and grades were always at a very high level. The truth is without basketball, I have no idea where I would be...I am so thankful for everything the game has done for me. From helping pay for college and earning my bachelor degree, to allowing me to visit dozens of beautiful countries...to the new house I'm buying in Boise-- basketball is to thank.

Being a former student-athlete and now professional basketball player...nine times out of ten, I'm probably going to back up the player. For the 12 people out there who haven't read about this already, Davies was kicked off the team for admitting to having sex with his current girlfriend. He allegedly got her pregnant and as a scarred 19 year old, he turned to his basketball family for help. This man has fought for BYU for 2 years now, why won't they fight for him? Why dismiss him for the rest of the year? I am a firm believer in rules and he broke one of them and should be punished. He didn't break any laws, he had sex with his girlfriend who he's in love with. Get him some counseling, some community service speaking with teens about abstinence...but don't end his season. Here the BYU honor code

Be honest
Live a chaste and virtuous life
Obey the law and all campus policies
Use clean language
Respect others
Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse
Participate regularly in church services
Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards
Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code

"Students must abstain from the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal substances and from the intentional misuse or abuse of any substance. Sexual misconduct; obscene or indecent conduct or expressions; disorderly or disruptive conduct; participation in gambling activities; involvement with pornographic, erotic, indecent, or offensive material; and any other conduct or action inconsistent with the principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Honor Code is not permitted."


I highly respect BYU's strict guidelines and honor code. I've played in the Marriott Center a couple times and it's one of the best basketball atmospheres in the nation. Are rules more important than anything? How do they determine the severity of breaking one of the rules? Is saying a curse word and drinking a beer the same punishment? It says "observe the grooming standards," so if you smell like sour body odor while going to class are you going to be suspended? Not only do I feel bad for Davies, but what about Jimmer? He turned down the money to return for his senior season and BYU had a legitimate chance at making a final four. Without their starting center....probably no chance now. BYU's honor code almost praises getting married too young. Had Davies signed a legal document with his girlfriend, he would still be playing on one of the hottest teams in the country...now he is a stressed 19 year old with a new one on the way.