Good news for GT hoops on one transfer while another waits

Georgia Tech sophomore point guard Kyle Sturdivant had a pretty solid case for his NCAA waiver to play the 2020-21 men's basketball season in Atlanta. His father passed away earlier this year and that prompted him to leave USC on the other side of the country and come back to Atlanta. Josh Pastner shared the good news on Monday as the NCAA granted Sturdivant's waiver.

“We’re excited to have Kyle in our program and thankful that the NCAA has allowed him the opportunity to play immediately,” said Pastner in a statement. “We’re thankful for the time and effort put into this process by our compliance staff. Kyle is a solid, tough, hard-nosed guard with really good speed. He helps us continue to get old and stay old since we have the chance to lose some perimeter players after next season, and he’s been around high-level basketball since high school.”

Sturdivant played sparingly for the Trojans as a true freshman averaging 8.3 minutes per game in 20 contests. He will give the Jackets another ball handler to join backcourt stalwarts Jose Alvarado, Mike Devoe and Bubba Parham. Sturdivant is projected as the long-term replacement for Alvarado who is a senior and the heart of the Tech lineup.

Meanwhile, Pastner is still awaiting word on former Georgia big man Rodney Howard. Howard is also trying to get a waiver after transferring from Athens to Atlanta. Howard would give the Jackets' a boost in the post defense category after the loss of James Banks to graduation.

If Howard gets his waiver, Tech will have 12 players on the roster for the upcoming season all eligible. That would be the strongest roster during Pastner's tenure and possibly in over a decade for the Jackets as they aim to snap 10-year drought NCAA-tournament wise.