Josh Pastner announced on Thursday that Southern transfer Calvin Godfrey will be eligible to play immediately for the Tigers as he received a waiver from the NCAA.
The process was more or less a formality. Godfrey is a senior this season and Southern is banned from the postseason due to low APR scores. The NCAA has a rule that allows athletes to transfer without penalty if the remainder of their athletic career will be played under a postseason ban. It’s the same waiver that allowed Alex Oriakhi to transfer to Missouri and be eligible immediately in 2012-2013.
Godfrey averaged 13.1 points and 8.8 boards for the Jaguars last season. He originally spent a season at Iowa State, but was kicked out of the program after getting arrested for possession of marijuana. He spent his sophomore season at Howard College in Texas and planned on enrolling at LSU for the 2012-2013 season, but was unable to pass the academic requirements.
Memphis already has a talented front line, headlined by Austin Nichols, Shaq Goodwin and Nick King. Godfrey will likely come off the bench, but his size, strength and ability to rebound will be a valuable addition in the minutes that he plays.