Although he isn’t yet eligible to compete, the 6-foot-10, 260-pound forward/center out of Fairfax High School in Los Angeles is allowed to participate in individual and conditioning workouts.
“We are happy to get Renardo academically admitted,” 12th-year Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said. “But we know this is just the first step. Now, he has to get his amateurism status resolved.”
A native Mississippian who moved to California in 2006, Sidney averaged 23.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots this past season in leading the Lions to a 27-5 ledger.
The heralded Sidney, also a Parade All-American, comes to MSU listed as the fifth-best player in the country by Scout.com and the seventh-best by ESPN.
In March, he was selected to the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Select Team, while in mid-April he was tabbed co-MVP at the Jordan Brand Classic at famed Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“We are pleased about Renardo’s opportunity to enroll as a student at Mississippi State, and we will continue to fully cooperate with the NCAA as we resolve his amateur status,” MSU athletics director Greg Byrne said. “As we said from the beginning, Mississippi State has pledged to do its due diligence in this matter and provide full cooperation from all parties involved, while continuing to keep in mind our first priority is to protect the integrity of our university.”