UCLA drops recruitment of Fairfax’s Sidney

With highly touted Fairfax High big man Renardo Sidney set to announce the college of his choice on Sunday, it appears that UCLA has dropped out of the running, sources said.

As recently as a few days ago, the Bruins were thought to be a frontrunner to sign the 6-foot-11 senior, who is widely considered to rank among the 10 top prep players in the nation.

There was some question about whether Sidney, who has not taken the SAT, could qualify academically. But little more than 48 hours from his announcement, it was not confirmed why the Bruins lost interest. The sources who said UCLA was out of the picture required anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Sidney might now be headed across town to USC. Sidney and his parents met Wednesday with USC Coach Tim Floyd, Athletic Director Mike Garrett and two other school officials. A source with knowledge of the situation who asked to not be identified said Sidney is very interested in the Trojans.

His name has also been mentioned in connection with Virginia, Arizona State and Mississippi State, among others.

His family moved to Southern California from Mississippi, where he first attracted national attention as an eighth-grader. This season, Sidney is averaging 26.5 points and 11 rebounds a game.

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