Fair play? Aggies lose Theus after letting robber slide

I went to see The White Stripes on Tuesday night (great show, by the way) and came home to news that Tyrone Nelson had pleaded no contest to three charges stemming from the robbery of a pizza delivery man last August. Once the plea was entered, New Mexico State immediately dismissed the talented forward from the basketball team, meaning Marvin Menzies will have one less all-conference-caliber player at his disposal this season.

Tyrone Nelson was allowed to keep playing, and he averaged 11.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for the season. (Getty Images)

The fact that Nelson was proved to be involved in the robbery of a pizza delivery man was hardly a surprise because though he repeatedly claimed his innocence, the evidence long ago made it clear he was part of the crime. How clear? Consider the following, written last August by someone named Gary Parrish.

I'm all about innocent until proven guilty. But unless another really tall and recognizable black man happened to rob a Domino's delivery person in Las Cruces last Tuesday, then Nelson is in trouble. ... The phone number that lured the delivery person to the location of the robbery had a "979" area code. That area code belongs to Hempstead, Texas, which happens to be Nelson's hometown. ... In other words, it doesn't look good for ol' Tyrone.

So if I realized Nelson was involved before last season, it's fair to assume NMSU officials must've realized Nelson was involved, too. Still, the school allowed him to play -- funny how 6-foot-9 guys always get the benefit of the doubt, isn't it? -- and the interesting thing is how the questionable (and by questionable, I mean shameful) decision might have cost the Aggies more than just their integrity.

Did it also cost them their coach?

That's something worth pondering now as Reggie Theus chills in Sacramento with a multimillion-dollar contract, ready to embark on his first season with the Kings. Theus was always going to be intriguing to -- and intrigued by -- the NBA, but it's doubtful the league would've made a move on him if not for that 25-win season, and I'm here to suggest that 25-win season would not have happened if Nelson would not have played.

Nelson averaged 11.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season, a season in which New Mexico State only made the NCAA Tournament because it won the WAC Tournament and in turn earned an automatic bid. And because Nelson averaged 17.3 points in the WAC Tournament -- including a 26-point effort in a 77-70 win over Louisiana Tech -- it's reasonable to conclude the Aggies probably would not have won the event without Nelson, meaning it's reasonable to conclude the Aggies probably would not have appeared in the NCAA Tournament without Nelson, who, it's worth noting, allegedly offered a neighbor marijuana and money to accept blame for the robbery.

(If nothing else, this proves Tyrone Nelson and Ricky Williams are not neighbors.)

So now the question is this: Would the Kings have hired an NIT coach?

Can't say for sure, but I'm guessing the answer is closer to no than yes. Consequently, it seems that in allowing Nelson to play despite overwhelming evidence indicating he had indeed robbed a pizza delivery man, New Mexico State put itself in position to get robbed just the same.

Domino's lost a large pepperoni.

New Mexico State lost a larger-than-life coach.

So while it's too bad that a program on the rise couldn't hold on to its rising star in the business, it's difficult to sympathize with New Mexico State in light of Nelson's plea. Because in a round-about way it appears the school did this to itself, got exactly what it deserved.