Mississippi State's Renardo Sidney to turn pro

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) Mississippi State forward Renardo Sidney has signed with an agent and will declare for the NBA draft.

The 6-foot-10 junior from Jackson, Miss., averaged 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game over two seasons with the Bulldogs. He battled eligibility problems early in his career, and occasionally had discipline issues, including a highly-publicized fight with a teammate in the stands during a tournament in Hawaii.

In a statement from the school, Sidney says he appreciates "Mississippi State giving me an opportunity to play," but wants to follow his "dream of playing in the NBA."

Sidney averaged 14.2 points and 7.6 points during his sophomore season, but his production dipped as a junior. He averaged 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last year, helping the Bulldogs to a 21-12 record.

Updated March 26, 2012