NCAA Approves Waiver For Demetris Morant To Play Immediately At FGCU

 The NCAA approved a hardship waiver for UNLV transfer Demetris Morant, allowing the 6-foot-9 forward to play immediately at Florida Gulf Coast. Morant transferred to FGCU in order to be closer to his father who suffered a stroke and lives in Miami.

“I’d first like to thank our Director of Compliance, Alex Masse, for all of his diligent work in filing the waiver and helping Demetris get cleared to play,” head coach Joe Dooley said in a release.. “I also would like to thank Dave Rice (UNLV head coach) and his staff. They went above and beyond the normal protocol in situations like these and we’re extremely appreciative of all their efforts.”

During his redshirt freshman season with the Rebels, Morant averaged .6 points per game and 3.8 minutes a game. After a weekend visit to FGCU in May, Morant committed to Joe Dooley and the Eagles.

Prior to his time at UNLV, Morant played alongside UCLA star Shabazz Muhammad at Bishop Gorman HS. The two standouts captured two state titles and Morant, a top-150 recruit coming out of high school, held a plethora of high major offers including UNLV, his eventual choice, and Texas A&M, Memphis, and New Mexico.

“I’m very happy that the process is over and was completed before the school year even started,” Morant said. “I’d like to thank everyone who worked on the waiver to get me eligible for this season. I’m excited to get to work, and I’m looking forward to contributing to this year’s team.”

The former UNLV forward rounds out a talented front court that includes JUCO transfer Eric Moeller, redshirt senior Nate Hicks, who is recovering from a torn ACL, Tulane transfer Marc-Eddy Norelia, and redshirt freshman Logan Hovey.