Memphis center Malcolm Dandridge finds himself sidelined for the foreseeable future due to concerns regarding potential academic misconduct, as confirmed by a statement released by the university on Saturday.
The university stated that Dandridge will be withheld “from competition until further notice” as they undertake a comprehensive review of information pertinent to his eligibility status.
Initial reports, as conveyed by Jason Munz of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, indicate that the issue revolves around potential academic misconduct involving Dandridge.
This development comes at a delicate time for the Memphis basketball program, which is currently serving a three-year probation period following a September 2022 ruling by the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. This probation stemmed from NCAA violations related to the recruitment of James Wiseman.
Statement from Memphis regarding Malcolm Dandridge’s status: pic.twitter.com/d9icJjsCnP
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 24, 2024
It’s worth noting that neither Head Coach Penny Hardaway nor the program itself faced disciplinary action or bans from postseason tournaments as a result of the investigation.
Adding to the program’s woes, Memphis received an additional year of probation in December 2022 due to recruiting infractions that occurred during the 2021-22 academic year.
Despite these challenges, Memphis has managed to secure berths in the NCAA tournament over the past two seasons, albeit exiting in the opening rounds each time. As of now, the team holds a record of 19-8 with four regular-season games remaining, including an upcoming clash against Florida Atlantic.
However, the latest projections by B/R’s Kerry Miller do not place Memphis among the 68 teams currently slated for the NCAA tournament, as of his update on Feb. 19.
Malcolm Dandridge’s absence is keenly felt by the Tigers. Having spent five seasons at Memphis, Dandridge originally played under Penny Hardaway during his tenure as head coach at East High School in Memphis from 2017-18. Upon Hardaway’s transition to coach the Tigers in March 2018, Dandridge followed suit the following year.
This season has seen Dandridge step into a starting role, a significant shift from his previous years primarily coming off the bench. He’s posted career-high averages in points (8.0) and rebounds (5.0) per game across 27 appearances, with 19 starts—five more than his combined total from the previous four seasons.
