Tennessee Basketball: Possibility transfer Uros Plavsic could play in 2019-20
Earlier this month, Uros Plavsic announced he would be transferring from Arizona State and would be heading back East to join Tennessee Basketball.
The Serbia native played high school basketball at Hamilton Heights in Chattanooga, so East Tennessee could be called his second home. Since announcing his transfer to Tennessee Basketball, Uros Plavsic has been seeking an NCAA waiver that would allow Plavsic to play immediately. Plavsic has support from his coaches with Rick Barnes saying Plavsic has “a good case.”
Plavsic’s case is surrounded around former Arizona State assistant Drazen Zlovaric, who did not return after last season. Zlovaric is also from Serbia and has been a significant deciding factor into where Plavsic would spend his college career. Zlovaric was an assistant at Cleveland State in Tennessee before joining the Arizona State staff. Plavsic was committed to Cleveland State until Zlovaric left and then Plavsic pulled his commitment and started focusing on Arizona State.
Barnes believes that Zlovaric was Plavsic’s support system, and since he has lost his support system at Arizona State that will be enough to grant him eligibility in 2019. Last year the NCAA began granting more waivers which allowed players to transfer and play immediately at a different school. These are based on “documented mitigating circumstances that are outside the student-athlete’s control and directly impact the health, safety, and well-being of the student-athlete.
Based on these circumstances, it seems like it is almost a no-brainer that Plavsic will be granted a waiver. Zlovaric leaving the program was out of Plavsic’s control, and if they were close, which it seems they were since Plavsic followed him across the country to Arizona State, it would directly impact the well-being of Plavsic.
Next. Top class of 2020 early commitments. dark
Getting Plavsic on the court in 2019 would be a big step in the right direction for the Vols as they look to rebuild their frontcourt with the departure of Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, Kyle Alexander and Derrick Walker. If a waiver isn’t granted Tennessee will have to wait until the 2020 season to see Plavsic on the floor. Tennessee’s signing class consisted of two forwards, 6-9 Drew Pember and 6-8 Olivier Robinson Nkamhoua, so even if Plavsic doesn’t play in 2019 Tennessee won’t be left in the dumps down low.