Brandon Davies, a member of the BYU basketball team, has been suspended for the remainder of the season for a violation of the university’s honor code. Unlike other player suspensions in the NCAA, Davies’ was not removed from the team for committing a crime, but rather breaking an old honor code associated with the school.
As a part of this honor code, all students at Brigham Young University pledge to abstain from premarital sex. Davies apparently was caught having premarital sex with his girlfriend and was suspended from the university. This issue of BYU’s honor code has been questioned recently, as it seems a little unfair to suspend a student for this reason. However, the code has been in place and all players knew they had to abide by this code when agreeing to play at BYU so Davies should have to face his punishment.
The real travesty of this decision is the effect it will have on the rest of the BYU basketball team and the sacrifices they have made for their season so far. BYU is enjoying its best success ever in NCAA basketball behind star player Jimmer Fredette and Brandon Davies. This announcement of Davies’ suspension puts the team’s goal of a final four run during the NCAA tournament in jeopardy.
He is better off out of BYU and away from those ultra-out-of-touch-with-reality Mormans. Maybe BYU should just play it safe, and make it a recruiting necessity to cut off the part that seems to throb their disillusioned consciense. Go make your millions, Brandon.