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From the Post-Dispatch
The father of former St. Louis University basketball player Willie Reed said his son, who was removed from school in October, is focused on returning to SLU and is not looking at other schools.
"He very much wants to come back to St. Louis," Willie Reed Sr. said Wednesday. "I think it's a 95 percent chance it will happen. I don't want to say 100 percent. We're not looking at other schools right now. I believe there's a strong chance he'll be back in St. Louis. That's his first choice."
Reed and teammate Kwamain Mitchell were removed from the university just before the basketball season began for violating the school's code of conduct after St. Louis Police investigated a claim of sexual assault on campus. No charges were filed by the police, but the players still had to face a campus review board.
Citing student privacy laws, SLU has declined comment on the status of Reed and Mitchell.
Mitchell from the start made it clear, through his attorney, that he wanted to return. But Reed and his father were critical of the school's handling of the situation and said they weren't going to return. Their position has softened since then, first with Reed Jr., who said three weeks ago he wanted to come back, and now his father, who on Nov. 19 had said, "It's impossible for him to (go back)."
"We're on the same page now," Reed Sr. said Wednesday. Of the school, he said, "They're trying to do right by the kid now after the way everything happened."
There are hurdles that Reed needs to clear before he can apply for readmission. Reed Sr. said his son is almost done with his community service, but that the toughest challenge will be getting the required amount of counseling done by Jan. 3. "He has to meet with a counselor for eight hours and he has 10 days before people shut down for the holidays," he said.
All that is just to be eligible to apply for readmission. Another question that remains is whether Mitchell or Reed would be ready to play after sitting out the first 2 1/2 months of the season. Reed Sr. said his son has been working out with a Kansas City-area college team, running and shooting with them, but hasn't been doing any work in the weight room.
The father of former St. Louis University basketball player Willie Reed said his son, who was removed from school in October, is focused on returning to SLU and is not looking at other schools.
"He very much wants to come back to St. Louis," Willie Reed Sr. said Wednesday. "I think it's a 95 percent chance it will happen. I don't want to say 100 percent. We're not looking at other schools right now. I believe there's a strong chance he'll be back in St. Louis. That's his first choice."
Reed and teammate Kwamain Mitchell were removed from the university just before the basketball season began for violating the school's code of conduct after St. Louis Police investigated a claim of sexual assault on campus. No charges were filed by the police, but the players still had to face a campus review board.
Citing student privacy laws, SLU has declined comment on the status of Reed and Mitchell.
Mitchell from the start made it clear, through his attorney, that he wanted to return. But Reed and his father were critical of the school's handling of the situation and said they weren't going to return. Their position has softened since then, first with Reed Jr., who said three weeks ago he wanted to come back, and now his father, who on Nov. 19 had said, "It's impossible for him to (go back)."
"We're on the same page now," Reed Sr. said Wednesday. Of the school, he said, "They're trying to do right by the kid now after the way everything happened."
There are hurdles that Reed needs to clear before he can apply for readmission. Reed Sr. said his son is almost done with his community service, but that the toughest challenge will be getting the required amount of counseling done by Jan. 3. "He has to meet with a counselor for eight hours and he has 10 days before people shut down for the holidays," he said.
All that is just to be eligible to apply for readmission. Another question that remains is whether Mitchell or Reed would be ready to play after sitting out the first 2 1/2 months of the season. Reed Sr. said his son has been working out with a Kansas City-area college team, running and shooting with them, but hasn't been doing any work in the weight room.
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