Reed’s departure ends a tumultuous year in which he and fellow Billiken Kwamain Mitchell were accused of sexually assaulting a fellow student and dismissed from campus during the Fall 2010 semester. While Mitchell was reinstated to the team in January after separate hearings allowed the players to return to school, Reed, a third-year student, was not granted permission to return to the team.
A statement released by SLU on Jan. 7 said that Reed was not re-admitted to the team because of ìssues regarding academic performance and several previous incidents of misconduct.
The school said Reed’s case would be reviewed should Reed prove he could meet several conditions set by the school, including proving that he can be a successful student inside the classroom and out at SLU.
A professor in the School of Arts and Sciences and former classmates have verified to The University News that Reed has stopped attending classes about three weeks ago and departed campus last week. Friends report that Reed intends to enter the NBA Draft this June.
Attempts to reach Reed for a statement were unsuccessful and SLU head coach Rick Majerus declined to comment. Assistant sports information director Brian Kunderman said the school cannot comment on Reed’s eligibility because he is still enrolled at SLU, and federal law prohibits the school from commenting on the academic status of its students.
Reed averaged 12.4 points per game and led the team in rebounding (7.9) and blocked shots (73) in 2009-10. He was an Atlantic 10 all-conference honorable mention selection. For his career, Reed made 54 starts, scored 682 points, rebounded 424 boards and blocked 113 shots.
