Fresno's Rekalin Sims dropped from team

The hammer came down on Fresno State senior basketballer Rekalin Sims yesterday even though legal charges had been dropped against him. His preceding academic suspension certainly wasn't a positive working in his favor. Neither were some of recent and not so recent Fresno State basketball and football student-athlete legal entanglements. Fairly or unfairly, situations are sometimes viewed in larger contexts, not getting judged based solely on their own circumstances.

What's interesting is that three separate people have written to us at our other WAC web site (where we have also posted about Sims' situation) offering that Sims is actually a good kid but has made some poor decisions regarding who he associates -- causing the Martin and Jessica Simpson song "The Company You Keep" to begin playing in our heads this morning.

There are no winners in this matter. Fresno State men's basketball could certainly have used Sims in bolstering its weak frontcourt and Sims needed a solid performance this season to generate interest in continuing as a professional here or abroad. Let's hope he stays in school and earns his degree, thereby creating at least that life foundation for himself.

One final matter of note is the remarkable difference in how Fresno State handled this matter compared to that of New Mexico State when student-athlete Tyrone Nelson was arrested and charged regarding the robbery of a pizza deliverer.

From WIKIPEDIA: "On August 24, 2006, Nelson was arrested at Mesilla Valley Mall in Las Cruces after rhaving been identified by a pizza delivery man employed at a restaurant inside the mall. The employee alleged that Nelson had robbed him earlier that month. Nelson was charged with two felonies ­ robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery ­ and held on $15,000 bond at Dona Ana County Jail. Though he was released when his brother arranged to pay bail money, Nelson was given a three-day suspension by his team. Says NMSC Aggies' coach Reggie Theus: "The situation is not consistent with Tyrone's character, but we will get to the bottom of what happened."

To avoid possible jail time, Nelson eventually pleaded no contest just before his trial was to begin. He was initially suspended by NMSU, then reinstated to the team after a school committee found no evidence of his guilt -- this despite the Las Cruces District Attorney moving forward with the charges.

Sims dismissed from men's basketball
Release authorized by Boeh after conduct review
Daniel Lyght
The Fresno Bee
12/13/07

Rekalin Sims was dismissed from the Fresno State men's basketball team for violating athletic department policy, Fresno State announced Thursday evening in a statement.

The dismissal, according to the statement, was authorized by athletic director Thomas Boeh "after a complete review by the student-athlete Code of Conduct Committee." The statement did not specify which policy had been violated.

Last week, two felony charges against Sims were dismissed by Fresno County Superior Court Judge James Oppliger because of lack of sufficient evidence.

Sims and two other men were arrested Nov. 11 and charged Nov. 15 with second-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Sims, who will remain on scholarship through the academic year, was suspended indefinitely Nov. 15.

The university's statement said the dismissal is final with no opportunity for appeal.

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