Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis

Former Kentucky student Matt Pilgrim is expected to visit Memphis Sunday and could announce a transfer to the C-USA school in the next week, a source close to Pilgrim told CBSSports.com on Saturday.

An initial attempt to reach Pilgrim for comment was unsuccessful.

This development is interesting because Pilgrim transferred from Hampton to Kentucky after the 2007-08 season, sat out last season per NCAA transfer rules and was expected to play for the Wildcats in 2009-10. But that all changed when John Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky, oversigned and thus needed to move players out of the program to allow his six incoming freshmen to enroll.

One of the players moved out was Pilgrim.

He did not want to leave.

And that's one of the reasons why a source close to Pilgrim told CBSSports.com that Calipari is working with new Memphis coach Josh Pastner to make this likely transition go as smoothly as possible. According to a source close to Pilgrim, Calipari and Pastner have been in contact, and Calipari has told Pastner he will not only release Pilgrim to Memphis, but that he will back Pilgrim's expected request of a waiver that, if granted, would allow Pilgrim to play for the Tigers this season.

Under normal circumstances, Pilgrim would have to sit out another year before becoming eligible in 2010-11. But the hope is that the NCAA recognizes that Pilgrim is only transferring for a second time because he was nudged out of Kentucky. In other words, Pilgrim had no say in the matter. And a source close to Pilgrim said there is precedent for the NCAA to grant a waiver under these circumstances.

Pilgrim's connection to Memphis is through Tiger assistant Glynn Cyprien.

Cyprien spent the past two years on Billy Gillispie's staff at UK.

He worked in practices with Pilgrim all last season.

The NCAA should not allow schools to over sign recruits than take away scholarships from players they made a commitment to. What kind of coach and school does this to a young kid and his family? I hope the NCAA lets Pilgrim to play next season - he should not be penalized because Kentucky hired a slimeball for a coach.

Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis

It would be great if you could include a profile of Pilgrim, so that we don't have to go searching for background. It appears that he could be a valuable addition to the UM team, or Coach JP wouldn't be trying to add him. Without seeing his profile, I don't understand why UM would want to take on a player that wasn't good enough for Coach X. We seem to have a good team forming, and with EW and maybe LS added, it isn't clear how Pilgrim could contribute. Is he a big guy?

Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis

Parrish quote: "And a source close to Pilgrim said there is precedent for the NCAA to grant a waiver under these circumstances."

What is the precedent? There is speculation that such exists, and we've even heard that something like that was granted between cross-town rivals Rice and Houston. Were the situations similar? One player being squeezed out?

I ask, because it sounds a little like Memphis is going to have to rely on Kentucky to state that the decision to release Matt from his scholarship was the university's and that Matt wasn't given an option. Depending upon what you read, one could construe that he was given a choice--stay and sit or leave and play.

Little help?

DALLAS TIGER 78 Reputation: 53 Level: Pro Since: Feb 3, 2009	Posted on: June 27, 2009 10:19 pm Score: 7 Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis It just keeps getting better. Looks like our roster is filling up. GO TIGERS! [ Reply to Comment ]
DALLAS TIGER 78 Reputation: 53 Level: Pro Since: Feb 3, 2009	Posted on: June 27, 2009 10:23 pm Score: 0 Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis ...is he a point guard? [ Reply to Comment ]
DrDick Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Apr 2, 2008	Posted on: June 27, 2009 10:43 pm Score: 101 Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis The NCAA should not allow schools to over sign recruits than take away scholarships from players they made a commitment to. What kind of coach and school does this to a young kid and his family? I hope the NCAA lets Pilgrim to play next season - he should not be penalized because Kentucky hired a slimeball for a coach. [ Reply to Comment ]
MemphisPhan Reputation: 1 Level: Amateur Since: Jun 28, 2009	Posted on: June 28, 2009 1:45 pm Score: 101 Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis It would be great if you could include a profile of Pilgrim, so that we don't have to go searching for background. It appears that he could be a valuable addition to the UM team, or Coach JP wouldn't be trying to add him. Without seeing his profile, I don't understand why UM would want to take on a player that wasn't good enough for Coach X. We seem to have a good team forming, and with EW and maybe LS added, it isn't clear how Pilgrim could contribute. Is he a big guy? [ Reply to Comment ]
Joe8383 Reputation: 91 Level: All-Star Since: Jan 20, 2008	Posted on: June 28, 2009 2:22 pm Score: 64 Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis MemphisPhan, how hard is it for you to type his name into Google? http://draftday.nbadraft.net/player s/matthew-pilgrim [ Reply to Comment ]
OBoile Reputation: 91 Level: All-Star Since: Apr 2, 2007	Posted on: June 29, 2009 9:58 am Score: 70 Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis Once again we see that winning immediately is more important to Cal than the well being of his players. [ Reply to Comment ]
Ybbodeus Reputation: 80 Level: All-Star Since: Mar 22, 2007	Posted on: June 30, 2009 11:14 am Score: 123 Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis Parrish quote: "And a source close to Pilgrim said there is precedent for the NCAA to grant a waiver under these circumstances." What is the precedent? There is speculation that such exists, and we've even heard that something like that was granted between cross-town rivals Rice and Houston. Were the situations similar? One player being squeezed out? I ask, because it sounds a little like Memphis is going to have to rely on Kentucky to state that the decision to release Matt from his scholarship was the university's and that Matt wasn't given an option. Depending upon what you read, one could construe that he was given a choice--stay and sit or leave and play. Little help? [ Reply to Comment ]
Ybbodeus Reputation: 80 Level: All-Star Since: Mar 22, 2007	Posted on: June 30, 2009 2:27 pm Score: 44 Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis <crickets chirping> [ Reply to Comment ]
volfanjeb Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Jan 4, 2008	Posted on: July 1, 2009 4:28 pm Score: 67 Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis he'd fit into the program they are rebuilding.....but sorta looks like a kevin mchale trade...pilgrim for cousins [ Reply to Comment ]

Gary Parrish

Parrish: The Thoughts