Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphis
Posted on: June 27, 2009 7:24 pm
Edited on: June 27, 2009 7:53 pm
Score: 130
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.
Comments Add a Comment
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volfanjeb Level: All-Star Since: Jan 4, 2008 |
Posted on: July 1, 2009 4:28 pm
Score: 67
Former UK player Pilgrim to visit Memphishe'd fit into the program they are rebuilding.....but sorta looks like a kevin mchale trade...pilgrim for cousins
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Ybbodeus
Reputation: 83Level: 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>
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Ybbodeus
Reputation: 83 Level: All-Star Since: Mar 22, 2007 |
Posted on: June 30, 2009 11:14 am
Score: 123
Former UK player Pilgrim to visit MemphisParrish 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? |
OBoile
Reputation: 91Level: All-Star Since: Apr 2, 2007 |
Posted on: June 29, 2009 9:58 am
Score: 70
Former UK player Pilgrim to visit MemphisOnce again we see that winning immediately is more important to Cal than the well being of his players.
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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 MemphisMemphisPhan, how hard is it for you to type his name into Google?
http://draftday.nbadraft.net/player s/matthew-pilgrim |
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MemphisPhan
Reputation: 8 Level: Amateur Since: Jun 28, 2009 |
Posted on: June 28, 2009 1:45 pm
Score: 101
Former UK player Pilgrim to visit MemphisIt 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?
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DrDick
Reputation: 87 Level: All-Star Since: Apr 2, 2008 |
Posted on: June 27, 2009 10:43 pm
Score: 101
Former UK player Pilgrim to visit MemphisThe 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.
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DALLAS TIGER 78
Reputation: 64 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?
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DALLAS TIGER 78
Reputation: 64 Level: Pro Since: Feb 3, 2009 |
Posted on: June 27, 2009 10:19 pm
Score: 7
Former UK player Pilgrim to visit MemphisIt just keeps getting better. Looks like our roster is filling up. GO TIGERS!
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