Tubby Going At Pastner

Tubby Smith is claiming that Memphis coach Josh Pastner has Broken an NCCA rule by watching Ex – Minnesota forward Trevor Mbwake. Mbawke is considering Memphis or Georgia Tech as schools to transfer to.

Here is an excerpt from PioneerPress.com:

Memphis basketball coach Josh Pastner broke an NCAA rule by watching University of Minnesota forward Trevor Mbakwe at a non-certified event earlier this month in St. Paul, Gophers basketball coach Tubby Smith told the Pioneer Press.

Pastner traveled to the Twin Cities to follow his recruiting targets at the Best Buy Summer Classic in Bloomington, which is an NCAA-certified event. But he also stopped by the Howard Pulley Pro-Am League in St. Paul on July 13 to watch Mbakwe, a junior who is considering transferring to Memphis or Georgia Tech.

“I think they probably misunderstood what the rules were,” Smith said Tuesday. “It might have been miscommunication or something. I don’t know.”

Lynn Parkes, associate athletics director for Memphis, a Conference USA school, wrote Wednesday in an e-mail to the Pioneer Press, “We have submitted a report of this to both the NCAA and C-USA offices.”

Gophers compliance director J.T. Bruett said Wednesday that the NCAA allows college players to participate in the Pulley summer league, but it is not a certified event, meaning college coaches can’t go there and recruit players.

Mbakwe was suspended all of last season while awaiting trial on a felony assault charge in Miami. He has asked Minnesota to release him from his scholarship if the NCAA grants him a waiver allowing him to play elsewhere next season. Transfers normally need to sit out a year. Mbakwe has not received word on his request.

Spotted at AllKyhoops.com

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