The March to Madness

Sidney Signs With Mississippi State

Two days after he parted ways with USC, Fairfax High big man Renardo Sidney signed with Mississippi State, ending a bizarre recruitment.

"I just had to realize, you know, I'm from Mississippi," he said. "I'm from Jackson, Mississippi. I've got a lot of people, a lot of family members down there that can actually see me play in person, you know, just to go back home and play in front of everybody, all my fans."

Sidney said little about the end of his courtship with USC. "You'll have to talk to my mom and my dad about that, but we just figured it wasn't a good idea to go," he said.

Sidney, USC Break Off the Engagement

Renardo Sidney has it all. He's big (6 foot 11), can run the court, handle the ball and shoot from the outside. He's perhaps the top prep power forward in the land.

Last month, Sidney announced he would play next season at USC. All he needed to do was pass the SAT, which he did last week, clearing the way for the Fairfax High senior to sign a letter of intent.

But something has gone wrong in the past week. The Los Angeles Times reports that Sidney won't be playing for the Trojans. A source close to the family said the Sidneys and USC had agreed upon "a mutual parting of the ways."

Why?