Vanderbilt guard Issac McBride received a wavier from the NCAA granting eligibility for the 2020-21 basketball season, Robbie Weinstein of 247 Sports reported. The news was later confirmed by Vanderbilt athletics in a press release.
McBride, a guard from Little Rock, Arkansas, committed to the University of Kansas after an impressive high school career culminated in averaging 28.9 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists his senior season. He enrolled at Kansas in 2019, only to leave in September before the 2019-2020 basketball season began. He officially enrolled at Vanderbilt in May, but NCAA rules require that transfers sit out an entire season. Without the wavier, McBride would have been forced to sit out the entire 2020-2021 season.
“We are pleased that Issac was granted his waiver for immediate eligibility,” Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse said in a press release. “He has waited patiently for the opportunity to compete in game competition. We are thankful for the support of our Vanderbilt administration and compliance team throughout the process.”
McBride is now a redshirt freshman, and the 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard was formerly named the 2019 Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year. He was ranked a three-star prospect by 247 Sports and a four-star prospect by Rivals. Among his 20 college suitors were other Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools like Tennessee, Auburn and Arkansas.