Bulls Gilchrist Receives NCAA Waiver

Stan Heath and the USF Bulls basketball team got great news Wednesday when the NCAA granted a waiver request for USF basketball player Augustus ‘Gus’ Gilchrist, the most highly touted basketball recruit in USF’s history, that will allow him to be eligible to play in mid December.

“We are thrilled with the news that Gus will join our team in time for the meat of our schedule,” said USF head coach Stan Heath.

Gilchrist was ranked the 55th best prospect and the ninth best center by Scout in the 2007 class. He was named MVP of the 2007 Capital Classic after scoring 24 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Gilchrist attended Progressive Christian Academy (Md.) as a senior averaging 24 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots per game, and also played for the D.C. Assault AAU program.

Gus spent his first three seasons at Friendly High School (Md.), where he was a teammate of current USF guard Chris Howard, and as a junior, averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds. Originally signed with VT in '06 but was granted a release. Then enrolled at Maryland in January but the ACC ruled he would not be eligible for '08 due to ACC transfer rules, before signing a grant-in -aid with USF.

Gilchrist, a 6-foot-10 center/power will be eligible to play on Dec. 14 against Niagara, and will be available for the entire Big East portion of the season, and will provide a BIG inside presence for the Bulls, who were very thin upfront.

Joining Gilchrist on the Bulls roster will be junior guard Mike Mercer, who transferred to USF from Georgia prior to the spring semester of 2008.