Brandon Davies Dismissed From Team: BYU Forward Suspended For Violating Honor Code

SALT LAKE CITY — BYU's dreams of a deep run in the NCAA tournament may have taken a major blow Tuesday when the third-ranked Cougars dismissed starting forward Brandon Davies from the team for the remainder of the season.

The school cited a violation of the school's honor code in announcing the move Tuesday evening.

Davies, who grew up in Provo, had started 26 of 29 games for the Cougars and averaged 11.1 points and a team-leading 6.2 rebounds.

The 6-foot-9 sophomore was instrumental in helping contain San Diego State's forwards in the Cougars' 80-67 victory over then-No. 6 San Diego State on Saturday.

The win vaulted BYU to No. 3 in the latest Associated Press poll as the Cougars improved to 27-2 overall (13-1 Mountain West) and swept the regular-season series over the Aztecs (27-2, 12-2) for the third straight year.

"It's unfortunate. I feel bad for BYU," San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said.

The school does not release details of such violations, but officials said coach Dave Rose would address Davies' situation following Wednesday's game against New Mexico.

The Cougars lost Jan. 29 in New Mexico, and were counting on help from Davies to secure a win Wednesday night as well in the conference and NCAA tournaments.

BYU was intent on winning the Mountain West Conference tournament next week in Las Vegas, of gaining a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and advancing past the second round, where the Cougars lost last season.

All-America guard Jimmer Fredette remains the Cougars' biggest scoring threat at a nation-leading 27.3 points a game. Backcourtmate Jackson Emery is second in scoring at 12.6 points and Davies was third.

"Wow," said San Diego State forward Malcolm Thomas, who wasn't aware of the suspension until told by reporters after the Aztecs' victory at Wyoming. "He's a big-time player and without him, they're still a good team. They're still going to make a run."

Davies played 27 minutes in the win over the Aztecs. He had four points, six rebounds and one blocked shot but helped contain San Diego State's big men.

He has put up some bigger numbers this season.

He had 20 points and nine rebounds in a win at Wyoming on Feb. 2, had double-doubles at UNLV (15 points, 10 rebounds) and against Colorado State (14 points, 15 rebounds).

Rose could switch to a smaller lineup by moving 6-5 Charles Abouo to power forward or he could lean more heavily on 6-8 sophomore Stephen Rogers or seldom-used 6-10 junior James Anderson.

BYU already was shorthanded after losing 6-9 sophomore Chris Collinsworth for the season because of injury.

Davies commanded the most attention inside, opening things outside for Fredette and Emery.

School officials said they became aware of the honor code violations Monday. His future with the team and the university has not yet been determined.

Comments

[koshkamat]

03:52 PM on 03/11/2011

Of course it's perfectly ok to marry your 14 year old niece and force her to have sex with you. Oh, yeah, the church no longer allows that....wink wink...

[420atmosphere]

10:35 PM on 03/03/2011

While the rule he broke was pretty stupid, you have to realize that he knew these were the rules before he signed on with the team. If he wanted to engage in sex, drugs and rock-n-roll, he shouldn't have chose to play for BYU.

[IMHOinCO]

07:46 PM on 03/03/2011

I think the important thing to remember is that most schools worth going to have honor codes. My daughter graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and they had a very strict honor code. Students could be punished for wearing their nose rings. The students know these things when they start studying there. It's not a secret. I attended a school in the midwest that had a very strict code. No one is aware of these things usually unless the suspended student is a basketball player. There is nothing wrong with honor codes, if a student doesn't feel they can abide by them, they need to consider attending a different university.

[BMVB]

03:10 PM on 03/03/2011

Reports say his girlfriend is pregnant. www.sportbloggers.com

[HawaiiShira]

01:08 PM on 03/03/2011

A vision of things to come with a Romney or Huntsman administration.... Legislating the bedroom. So that explains why they get married so young! Guess they take seriously "better to marry than to burn". But can't believe no one on BYU campus, other than married folks are having sex. The must not have given him a pair of magic shorts. Wonder if the girlfriend was white.

He should transfer to the first school that will take him post haste.

[jmcgvrm]

01:21 PM on 03/03/2011

You know that Harry Reid, U.S. Senate majority leader, is Mormon too, right?

[HawaiiShira]

01:31 PM on 03/03/2011

Yep! Not that impressed with him either. As is Orrin Hatch.

[mitchy]

11:44 AM on 03/03/2011

Seriously? Let's replace Mormon with Jew or Muslim. They are all the same in their religious tenants, same bigoted history and beliefs, just that it's completely pathetic that folks can point their fingers at Mormons while crying injustices for other religions. Why the sensitivity and political correctness for Jews and Muslims?

[koshkamat]

03:53 PM on 03/11/2011

Because the Jews aren't telling people what to do with their genitals. I bet you can bang yer brains out at Yeshiva ;-)

[NoWhineZone]

11:28 AM on 03/03/2011

If you are African American and attend BYU something is probably a little off about you to begin with. At the very least you have no sense of recent history. Dude!! Mormons are just not that in to you.

[Kneeanderthal]

11:01 AM on 03/03/2011

If the authorities did not act promptly, this could lead to things like drinking coffee.

When I was in college I was celibate for a while. It was the worst 45 minutes of my life.

[linton]

09:42 AM on 03/03/2011

Does anyone know if the Code of Conduct applies to the entire school body and how it is monitored? e.g. lecturers, regular students, workers etc

[flowermommy]

06:27 PM on 03/03/2011

applies to everyone involved...... gotta give them props for standing behind their rules... unlike every other school out there

[TomUpton]

02:34 AM on 03/03/2011

Pop culture equivalent of burying him to his neck and stoning him. It is a God eat God world!

[skraeling]

02:18 AM on 03/03/2011

Having gone to school on the fringe of Mormon country, BYU was a joke....the mormons carry on just like all others, only without booze and coffee...there has to be more to this.....maybe, it was not hetero after all....who knows? Mormons are a curse, anyway...a cult by any other name..

[NoWhineZone]

11:02 AM on 03/03/2011

I lived in Mormon country. Many of them engage in booze, coffee and other drugs.

[shastaman]

12:44 AM on 03/03/2011

You're kidding ! ! ! Right?
is his lady friend white?
BYU is crazy stuff man

[Waterlooboy]

11:44 PM on 03/02/2011

Come to UCLA next year and you can have all the fringe benefits you want.

[floydcash]

11:06 PM on 03/02/2011

He had sex. BYU is such a joke. How is this helping this young man? What a cult of intolerance.

[Winthorpe]

11:46 PM on 03/02/2011

Is that what it was? Do you have a link? Not to a video, I mean.

[floydcash]

01:46 AM on 03/03/2011

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6175090

[MCWAY]

09:39 AM on 03/23/2011

Ummm......he signed a piece of paper, saying he'd abide by THEIR RULES, in exchange for a full-ride scholarship.
 
Imagine that! Expecting your students to abide by your policies and suspending them when they don't.
 
Maybe you should leave your "cult" of buffoonery and get a grip.
 
Gee! A Christian school not wanting their kids to screw around. Next thing you know, they'll want their students to refrain from lying, cheating, stealing, and cussing....AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

[TheBear]

10:49 PM on 03/02/2011

too bad what a missed opportunity for him....nothing more exciting than March Madness

[photofriend]

01:44 PM on 03/04/2011

Sex is much more exciting than March Madness.