Wells to UK?

Dez Wells may not be a common name around these parts, but he may find a home in the Bluegrass state. The former Xavier big man recently found his future to be very much in doubt. Wells’ name was thrown into the news after Xavier University expelled him from school for a major violation of their personal conduct policy. The news stunned the college basketball world, and now Wells had no choice but to appear in court.

Wells stood before a judge accused of sexual assault, but he walked away a free man. The judge had claimed there was not enough evidence to convict Wells of anything. The evidence was so lopsided, the prosecutor himself made a strong case for Wells’ innocence. In a statement, the prosecutor said that he has the highest respect for Xavier University and their president. However, they should revisit the case and consider their actions. Xavier said in their own statement, they had evidence of their own that was not provided to Grand Jury and has went through it’s own process to expell Wells. The standards set at Xavier were apparently broken, despite the fact that Wells’ name has been emphatically cleared in court.

Despite the Grand Jury’s decison to exonerate Wells, Xavier did not. In the end, Dez was in the same situation that he found himself in before the trial even started. His future in question, his education, and trying to find a new school to call home in a relatively short time. Because of transfer rules, Wells would have to sit on the bench a full year before he can be eligible to wherever he goes. Many find the actions against Wells ridiculous and criticize the Xavier process. Because of the on-court brawl with rival Cincinnatti, Xavier seemed to try and use Wells as an example of improvement in regards to their honor policy. However, others commend Xavier for their quick action and commitment to the policy.

Wells is a 6’5” 215 lb. guard/forward from Raleigh, North Carolina, where he played his high school basketball with former Kentucky star John Wall. He’s a big body with really good hands for rebounding the ball. Dez was just a freshman last year, and will only be nineteen years old in Mid-April. He’s already gone through so much as a collegian, now he must start again. Louisville, Memphis, and Maryland have recently contacted Wells for his services. After visiting Louisville today, Kentucky decided they wanted in on the sweepstakes and invited Wells over for a visit.

I believe strongly that Wells is a decent young man that just got caught in a bad situation. The prosecutor against him could not even form a valid argument. Instead, he defended Wells and his profound innocence. The jury in front of him cleared his name, and now he can focus on finding a new college home. Kentucky is definitely in the mix, and he would be a great addition for any team in college basketball. I hope that wherever Dez Wells decides to go to school, he can focus on his goals and grow into a model citizen. The quick knee-jerk reaction is most always the worst decision.