Sept. 30, 2008
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State director of athletics Jeff Schemmel and men's basketball head coach Steve Fisher announced today the reinstatement of senior forward Kyle Spain effective immediately.
"I have spoken with Kyle throughout this process and I am convinced that he has learned from his mistakes," Schemmel said. "This was not an easy process for Kyle to earn reinstatement. He completed all of the requirements Coach Fisher and I put in place and is on schedule to graduate next Spring."
"Kyle's reinstatement follows a long and demanding set of guidelines," Fisher said. "We feel that in our job of teaching and educating that this move is in the best interest of everyone concerned. As a teacher, coach and parent, we constantly emphasize the importance of decision making and accountability with regard to our decisions that we make. Kyle has earned his reinstatement and will represent himself, San Diego State and our basketball program in a fashion that we all can be proud of."
Spain averaged a career-high 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 20 games last season as a junior. The Aztecs were 16-6 overall and 6-2 in the Mountain West Conference prior to his suspension for violations of team policy on Feb. 8. Spain made 32 three-point field goals during the 2007-08 season and led the team in three-point field goal percentage at 38.6 percent.
In three seasons, Spain has played in 79 games and made 62 starts. He has 726 points, 407 rebounds and 92 steals. He has 34 career double-figure scoring games.
This season San Diego State returns all five starters and its top eight scorers from a year ago, including all-conference performers Lorrenzo Wade (first team), Ryan Amoroso (third team) and Billy White (third team and freshman of the year). Eight times Fisher has inherited a team that he coached the year before that returned at least four starters and all eight times the team has advanced to postseason play (seven NCAA Tournaments and one postseason NIT championship) and won at least 21 games.
SDSU will make its first appearance of the season in an exhibition game against Point Loma Nazarene on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. PT and will get its regular season underway on Saturday, Nov. 15, vs. UC San Diego at 1 p.m. PT. Both games will be held at Cox Arena.