This is BYU. A private university owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Anyone who attends this institution must agree to adhere to a strict honor code which among other things states that its students abstain from premarital sex.
Where the two collide is Davies is a member of BYU’s nationally ranked and he admitted to having premarital sex of a consensual nature. What did the university do? They kicked him off the basketball team. And I for one applaud the move. It shows that in an environment that stresses wins over all else that standing up for what you believe in can be truly inspiring. Now allow me to state that I don’t think the kid did anything wrong, but he signed an agreement with the university to adhere to their rules. He did not; he now faces the consequences of said actions.
I think both this young man and the university deserve to be applauded for how they have handled the situation. This kid could have lied and continued to play when confronted but he owned up to it and faced his punishment. That to me is the definition of a real man, flawed but honest enough to take responsibility for his actions. The university suspended a player that has been key to their success which ensures they will most likely not advance very far in the NCAA tournament but it is refreshing to see a college put its standards before that of wins.
Do I believe he should be permanently banned for doing something 9 out of 10 of us were doing at that age? No, the difference between us and this young man is we didn't agree to abstain to attend that institution. So hopefully this young man gets another shot, BYU remains highly ranked, and other schools take note that while winning is great it shouldn't come at the expense of our principles.
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