Report: Pitt Freshman Wilson Waiting For NCAA Clearance
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - The Pitt men's basketball team added its first top 100-ranked recruit in three years when Damon Wilson signed with the Panthers in November.
Now, Wilson, an incoming freshman combo guard out of Our Savior New American on Long Island, New York, might not play this upcoming season. ESPN basketball insider Jeff Goodman reported Wednesday in a tweet that Wilson has not yet been cleared to play by the NCAA for 2015-16.
Kansas frosh Cheick Diallo isn't the only Our Savior kid who hasn't been cleared by NCAA yet. Pittsburgh's Damon Wilson also still waiting.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) August 5, 2015
Cheick Diallo, a McDonald's All-American from Our Savior New American who nearly committed to Pitt, is also waiting for clearance.
The clearinghouse issues are not a new trend at the school. Our Savior is a prep school that is unofficially referred to by the derogatory term "basketball academy," which denotes the concept that basketball comes before schoolwork.
In 2013, Pitt target Kobe Eubanks, a former player at Our Savior, ran into eligibility issues before setting foot on the floor at Baylor. It was just reported Wednesday morning by Goodman that Davon Dillard, a 2015 teammate of Wilson and Diallo at Our Savior, had been cleared by the NCAA to play for Oklahoma State this fall after eligibility issues.
Pitt could have to scrape the bottom of its bench this season if the left-handed Wilson is unable to suit up.
The health of junior point guard Josh Newkirk remains in question after he underwent microfracture surgery in May. Senior starting point guard James Robinson received foot surgery in June, as did shooting guard Sterling Smith.
