Memphis basketball guard Caleb Mills' request for one more season of eligibility has been denied by the NCAA, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation told The Commercial Appeal on Tuesday.
The sources requested anonymity since they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Last month, Tigers coach Penny Hardaway said the school applied for a medical hardship waiver on Mills' behalf after the former Florida State and Houston standout suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first half of a Jan. 4 win at Tulsa.
Sources said the initial request was made in May and was denied soon afterward. An appeal was subsequently filed, they added, and it was officially denied this week. According to NCAA rules, in order to qualify for a medical hardship waiver, a player can have appeared in no more than 30% of their team's scheduled games. Mills participated in 43.75% of the Tigers' games last season.
Hardaway and those around the program have repeatedly mentioned that Mills' injury (a fractured left patella) was "devastating" to the team. The Tigers, 11-2 when Mills went down, improved to 12-2 by beating Tulsa the night he got hurt. The team tumbled after that, finishing 10-8 and missing the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Mills averaged 7.9 points and 3.1 rebounds a game, while shooting 36.7% from the 3-point line.
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The Tigers have revamped their roster almost completely this offseason — mostly via the transfer portal. The backcourt currently consists of Tyrese Hunter, PJ Haggerty, Colby Rogers, Baraka Okojie (who will miss most of offseason workouts because of a shoulder injury) and incoming freshman Jared Harris. Members of the frontcourt include Dain Dainja, Moussa Cisse and Tyreek Smith, as well as returning forward Nicholas Jourdain.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: NCAA denies Memphis basketball guard Caleb Mills' waiver request
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