Frank Victores-USA Today Sports
On Monday afternoon, word came in from the Commercial Appeal that 6-foot-9 freshman Kuran Iverson had been cleared to play next season with the Memphis Tigers.
Long story short, Tigers’ fans can exhale a sigh of relief as this is a huge boost for head coach Josh Pastner and the team moving forward.
Iverson is part of a loaded freshmen class that has given Memphis some increasingly high expectations for the 2013-14 season. At this point, the Tigers could very well emerge as a top 15, top 20 team nationally heading into next season. Iverson, who stands at 6-foot-9, is expected to be an important part of the team’s success right away. He is officially labeled as a small forward, but Iverson can handle the ball well for a player of his size.
In addition to Iverson, Memphis’ freshman recruiting class also includes Austin Nichols, Nick King, Dominic Woodson, Rashawn Powell, and Markel Crawford. All of the aforementioned recruits with the exception of Crawford are listed as top 100 prospects by ESPN. Powell is still awaiting clearance himself, at this time.
Iverson, who is the younger cousin of former NBA star Allen Iverson, had some question marks regarding his eligibility status, but this news comes at a great time for the Tigers simply considering they won’t have to sweat things out this fall. Iverson has been cleared academically and will be labeled as a full qualifier.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
