BYU center Brandon Davies addressed the media for the first time since being suspended from the team in March for an Honor Code violation. He withdrew from school in April and was reinstated in August, at the start of the Fall 2011 semester.
“I’m just happy to be back,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what I had to go through to get here, I’m just glad to be here, back with my teammates and back here where I’m supported and loved best.”
Davies’ return to the team and school was not easy on him, as his suspension was publicized nationwide during the Cougars’ run that included a Sweet 16 appearance and rising as high as No. 3 in the national rankings, but he stayed positive throughout the process.
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“I tried not to pay attention to it but it’s always out there,” Davies said. “There’s always going to be good things [said] and there’s always going be bad things [said] but you just have to push through it. It doesn’t really matter what people think. I know I’ve grown as a person and I know it’s only going to get better.”
Davies also expressed his gratitude to his teammates for their support.
“They’re more than teammates. Every single one of them is like a brother to me,” he said. “Each of them individually has helped me one way or another. It’s a terrible thing we all had to go through and they were willing to go through it with me and pull through together. I think that says a lot about their character and the way we are as a team. ”
Moving forward, Davies hopes to be an example and inspiration to others as he tells his story.
“It’s still kind of tender, but … I’m willing to shine my light on it to kind of help others if needed,” he said.
In order to return to the university and the team, Davies had to go through a reinstatement process dictated by BYU. Now that he has finished that process, he is ready to focus on basketball.
“Those steps are over and done with,” he said. “I’m back and as far as I’m concerned I did it the right way. … Now that the season’s started I have more positive things to look forward to — which is basketball.”
Davies and the Cougars take the court on Friday night as they take on Utah State in Logan to open the 2011-12 regular season.
