On Tuesday, sophomore forward Renardo Sidney spoke to the media for the first time since his fight and subsequent suspension in Hawaii. This is the transcript of that meeting.
 
Question: Well, Renardo, first of all, how excited are you to talk to us?
Answer: It’s been a long time coming. I’ve thought about every question y’all are going ask me, and I think I am ready for it.
Q: What would you ask yourself if you were in our shoes?
A: I think everybody is going to ask me about the fight.
Q: Well, go ahead and talk about it and get it over with.
A: Well, it was a big mistake and me and Elgin were very close. He was my roommate, and I am sad that it happened. I just wanted to get that over with and focus on this SEC Tournament.
Q: Have you reached out to Elgin since that happened?
A: Well, we talked one time but not like we usually talk. But we did talk, and we apologized to each other, wished each other good luck and kept on moving.
Q: After the fight, was there any inner-searching that you did, and what did you think needed to change?
A: Everything. I think I have changed my attitude and the way I talk to people, just trying to be a better person and be the younger Renardo Sidney from Artesia — humble and just love playing basketball.
Q: You received a lot of criticism from on and off the court. Does that hurt a little bit?
A: I mean, it hurts everything people say about me because I am still a young kid. But I try to take it as motivation when I’m practicing. I think about all the negative things people say about me and try to turn it into a positive and keep working on it.
Q: Would you admit that you’re out of shape?
A: Yes, I would admit to that, and I put myself in that predicament by coming into the season not in shape, overweight; my attitude was bad. Right now I am just trying to stay focused and keep moving forward.
Q: Did you ever think about giving up basketball and did you lose that love?
A: I think I did my freshman year when I was told I wouldn’t be able to play. Last year, it was a stressful freshman year for me, and I thought about quitting. But, like I said, the coaches here love me and I love them and I love this team. Right now, I’m proud to be a Bulldog.
Q: When all that happened in December, what did you think when Stansbury was making that decision?
A: The only thing I could think about was not getting kicked off the team and what I would do afterwards if I did get kicked off the team. So I am just glad to still be a Bulldog.
Q: You have obviously played better of late. How far do you think your game shape has come this season?
A: It has gotten better, but it’s not 100 percent. But like I said, I am working toward getting back to a younger Renardo, getting up and down the floor, having a good attitude and playing the game that I love to play.
Q:You had an entire year to get in shape. Why were you out of shape coming into the year?
A:Like I said, it was a stressful year for me, as a freshman coming in, knowing that I was going to play alongside of Jarvis [Varnado] and with the team we had last year. They told me I couldn’t play, I just thought I didn’t love the game no more.
Q:Where is your level of passion for the game now?
A:It’s gotten way better now, and I think I’m getting back to the younger Renardo, but not all the way.
Q:When we last talked to you, you said you could not be stopped on the low block. Were you prepared for what you were going to face in college basketball?
A:I wasn’t. I thought I was in shape. The first SEC game showed me that I wasn’t in shape. I thought I was working hard, but that showed me I wasn’t. After the game, I just said I had to work harder and work on my conditioning.
Q:You face a new experience with the SEC Tournament. How much have you asked your teammates about it?
A:We talk everyday, and we’ll probably be the most prepared team in the SEC Tournament. We are on a three game winning streak, and we’ve all gotten together and said, “Hey, let’s go do it.”
Q:Coach Stansbury has said you have to learn many things, like getting a bad call and not saying anything. Has learning the little things been the hardest part for you?
A:It has. I’m way better than I was in high school. I used to get a bad call and I’d argue about it and say little things. But I have gotten better. Sometimes I will throw my hands up and say little stuff, but I try to run back down the court so I won’t get a tech.
Q:You talk about being the old Renardo again. What is it about your game you’re trying to recover?
A:Well, I think I was about 60 pounds lighter and could get up and down the floor real well. I loved the game back then. I am trying to get back to loving the game again.
Q:What do you have to do to get back into shape?
A: I think it is just running, conditioning-wise. The weight is going to come off but just getting up and down the floor and being effective on the block is going to come from running every day.
Q:Does being out of shape hurt you more on defense?
A:It does. I think I work harder on offense rather than the defensive end, like trying to get open. Like I said, it is a new experience for me working on both ends and I’m just trying to get better.
Q:Through all the good and bad, how much have you leaned on your teammates?
A:A lot. They’ve been helpful a lot. The captains, I think it was at Tennessee, Riley came up to me and said, “Hey, we got your back and we know you’re sick and we’re gonna win it for you.” I think that was a big thing, because I’ve never had teammates have my back like that before.
Q:How big is Dee Bost in your life?
A:Dee is like the second dad out there. He runs the team, and the majority of the balls I get are coming from him. We hang out a lot. We don’t really just practice a lot together because we are on different ends.
Q:Who is the person you can go to other than teammates?
A:I think it’s Coach [Marcus] Grant. He calls me throughout the day, probably at least five times before practice, just seeing if I’m in school and if I need to talk. He is like a second dad, too, and anything I need or if I’m going through something, I just talk to him.
Q:There’s a perception out there that you sometimes get lazy on the court. Is that more of a reflection of being out of shape?
A:It is, and it is more of conditioning. When I get tired I think I just lose my mind and just want to go sit down. But like I said, I’m working on my conditioning right now and trying to get better.
Q:Your roommate Kodi Augustus has been through a lot. How does he help you?
A:He’s grown up in my eyes a lot. After the games, we will just sit out there and talk about things we need to work on and things we did in the game. If I’m down, he’ll come in there and talk to me.
Q:What changes do you have to make to be in better shape next year and workouts do you need to do?
A:Those things are beginning and they haven’t started all the way. As soon as the season is over with I will get with Coach Akins and start.
Q:You said a while back you thought you were the best big man.
A:I still do. I still think I’m the best big man in the conference. Just conditioning, man. I know it is not going to happen over night, but I am working on it.
Q:Will you be back next season?
A:I haven’t thought about it yet. Right now I’m just worried about the SEC Tournament and where we stand from there.
Q:Could you walk us through the fight in Hawaii and what you were thinking as it happened?
A:Like I said, it was a big mistake and I wish it never happened. Right now, my focus is on the tournament.
Q:On defense, it seems like you have to pick your spots. Is that because you don’t want to get in foul trouble or do you get too tired?
A:I think it’s both. I think the team needs me out on the floor, so I try to stay out of foul trouble. But most of it is my conditioning. Like I said, I can’t work on my conditioning until the summer.
Q:How much did you prepare for meeting with the media?
A:Well, my hands are not under the table. During practice I just kept moving and was nervous. But I thank them for having me go through that; it helped out a lot.
Q:You’re good at expressing yourself. Do you like talking to the media?
A:I do, and I never understood why they wouldn’t let me talk to y’all. I wasn’t nervous or anything. I guess it was just their opinion so I had to go with it.
Q:Could you clear up the idea that you enter and leave the game as you please?
A:I think it is a good idea and it keeps me fresh off the bench and not have me out there long. As you see, when I get tired I just stop, and that is one of the main reasons people say those things about me when I get tired and how I play on defense. We both agreed on it and when I get tired just throw my hand up.
Q:If you and Dee come back next year with the guys coming in, how good can this team be?
A:We will be better, but I am not going to say we will win it. But we will be a better team with Rodney Hood and Deville [Smith] coming in. We will have [UTEP transfer] Arnett [Moultrie] coming in, and I think we will be experienced enough to make a run in the tournament.
Q:How have your parents been the last three months?
A:It has been hard. My mom is very emotional, and my dad is kinda strong. I had to listen to my mom cry all the time about what they were saying about me on TV. She had to cut the game off sometimes because of the harsh things they would say about me. But we are trying to keep it together to stay strong.
Q:What did you tell your mom to calm her down?
A:“Just stay strong mom, I got this.”
Q:What was the biggest thing off the court you had to learn once you got to college?
A:The little things. You know, people commented about my shoes not being tied up at Kentucky and that I wasn’t ready for the game. So it’s just the little things, and there is a big microscope on me. I have to stay low key, stay in the house, because I know people arelooking. Anything I do they’re looking to write something so I have to stay low key.
Q:You may play three games in three days at the SEC Tournament. Are you worried about that?
A:No, I am taking this whole week to push myself a lot harder than I’ve pushed myself because I know they are gonna need me in the long run. I’m just looking forward to the SEC Tournament.
Q:Is this press conference the end of the drama?
A:It’s like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I was looking forward to talking to you guys. I knew it would come one day, and you guys wanted to hear explanations and things about me.