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Memphis gets transfer in George Washington forward David Pellom

Memphis Tigers Head Coach Pastner talks with Johnson and Black during a time out during the first half of their third round NCAA tournament basketball game against the Michigan State Spartans in Auburn Hills

Memphis Tigers Head Coach Josh Pastner (C) talks with Geron Johnson (L) and Tarik Black (R) during a time out during the first half of their third round NCAA tournament basketball game against the Michigan State Spartans in Auburn Hills, Michigan March 23, 2013. REUTERS/Jeff Kowalsky (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

REUTERS

After losing Tarik Black to transfer, Memphis was on the lookout for a forward to replace him. Coach Josh Pastner may have found him.

George Washington big man David Pellom is reportedly headed to Memphis and will be eligible to play immediately under the graduate transfer rule when he graduates in May, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Jason Smith.

Pellom, a 6-8, 220-pound fifth-year senior-to-be sat out all of the 2012-13 season with a wrist injury.

“I was kind of leaning towards (transferring to) Drexel, but (Memphis assistant Aki Collins) gave me a call,” Pellom said to Smith. “I looked up Memphis and did my research on them ... and felt what I had to bring to the table was something that Memphis was looking for.”

As a junior in 2011-12, Pellom averaged 10.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and shot an impressive 68.5 percent from the field (122-of-178). He had some trouble at the free throw line, hitting 53 percent from the stripe. Pellom’s almost 70-percent clip overall was a single-season record for the Colonials.

Pellom experienced a sizable scoring improvement from his sophomore to his junior year at George Washington, pouring in 6.7 points in 2010-11. That will be necessary in his time in the Tigers’ post with Black (8.1 points, 4.8 rebounds this past season) gone.

Pellom was a dire need for Memphis with very little experience returning in the frontcourt. The Tigers do get sophomore-to-be Shaq Goodwin (7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds in 2012-13) back, and bring in a stellar recruiting class for next season, including forwards Kuran Iverson and home-grown talent Austin Nichols.

Follow David Harten on Twitter at @David_Harten