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20-Year-Old NCAA Basketball Player Shot and Killed at Subway Restaurant

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The LSU Tigers are mourning the loss of basketball player Wayde Sims, who was shot and killed early Friday morning.

Sims, 20, was shot about a block away from Southern University’s football stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. An altercation broke out just after midnight and Sims was shot near a Subway restaurant, according to The Advocate.

Police spokesman Sgt. L’Jean McKneely said Sims was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died from a gunshot wound.

“We are all devastated,” head coach Will Wade said in a statement. “We need your prayers for Wayde, for his family, for all of us. We are heartbroken.”

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LSU officials were notified of Sims’ death early Friday morning, and they have made counselors available to Sims’ teammates and friends.

Sims was entering his junior year at LSU after starting 10 games for the team last year. He would have been the fourth-leading returning scorer after averaging 5.6 points per game last season.

Sims was the 2014-15 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year at University High School in Baton Rouge. His father, Wayne Sims, also played basketball at LSU and was a teammate of Shaquille O’Neal for two seasons.

“Wayde Sims’ loss is simply unbelievable to us right now,” LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said. “There are no words that can express our sorrow for his parents and family. He was such a lovable young man who was full of joy. We are circling around his teammates and friends who need all the love and support we can give them. We are praying for his family, for his parents. God bless Wayde Sims.”

Many former LSU athletes remembered Sims on Twitter, as did rival basketball coaches in the SEC.

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During a Friday morning news conference, Wade told reporters that “basketball takes a back seat right now” and the university is just focused on helping the Sims’ family.

The Tigers finished last season with a 18-15 record, and they were eliminated in the second round of the NIT.

According to 247 Sports, LSU has the No. 4 class of incoming recruits and landed two five-star prospects. The Tigers will begin their season Nov. 6 against Southeastern Louisiana.

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Ross Kelly has been a sportswriter since 2009.
Ross Kelly has been a sportswriter since 2009 and previously worked for ESPN, CBS and STATS Inc. A native of Louisiana, Ross now resides in Houston.
Location
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