Vanderbilt forward Matthew Moyer has been granted immediate eligibility after applying to have his required transfer year of residency waived by the NCAA.
He will be able to play right away, including in Vanderbilt’s Friday night game vs. Alcorn State on November 16.
“The NCAA has a process for reviewing these requests and we are thankful that they have allowed Matt to play immediately,” said Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew. “We are also thankful for all of the time spent by our compliance office during this process.”
The 6’8” forward transferred from Syracuse this season and was scheduled to sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules. Vanderbilt submitted a request to waive this rule for Moyer, and the request was approved this week.
Moyer has three years of eligibility remaining after playing his freshman season at Syracuse. He played a total of 37 games and averaged 3.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game.
“I appreciate Vanderbilt and more importantly Syracuse’s support throughout this process and I’m looking forward to being able to contribute this year,” Moyer tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
When he committed to Vanderbilt, The Vanderbilt Hustler spoke with Sam Rubinoff, who called Syracuse’s games on WAER. He said that Moyer has a high-end skill set, but at times can lack confidence on the floor.
“I was on the call for the Syracuse game at MSG this year against Uconn,” Rubinoff told The Vanderbilt Hustler back in April. “In the first half Moyer flew out of no where on the baseline and threw down at put back dunk off a missed three. He finished that game with 12 pts and 8 rebounds. In that game he showed what a talented and athletic player he is and there were flashes throughout the season.”
“My overall take is the mindset that he brings to every game. You know which Matt Moyer you have at the under 16 timeout. He’s either high flying and ready to play or just going through the motions without much confidence.”
Moyer will also add to an already deep group of forwards and centers, providing another floor-stretching presence alongside Simisola Shittu, Matt Ryan, Yanni Wetzell and Clevon Brown Jr.
Vanderbilt tips off against Alcorn State at 7 PM on Friday night.
