Tavon Sledge wanted to come home to be closer to his father.
Kwame Sledge is ill and Tavon, a 5-foot-9 sophomore point guard from Spring Valley, N.Y., needed to be with him.
So he transferred from Iowa State, where he was getting little playing time, and moved to Iona, where he enrolled in summer classes. On Thursday, he learned that he had received a hardship waiver to play immediately.
“My father’s sick,” Tavon told SNY.tv, declining to specify what the illness is. “He’s been sick since I was in Iowa and it’s just been getting worse. When I thought about transferring back home, I kept my father in my mind, my family,
and came to the conclusion that the best thing for me to do is to come back close to my family and try to do as much as I can to help him out.”
Sledge, who now has three years of eligibility, joins a loaded backcourt at Iona that includes Lamont “Momo” Jones, Sean Armand, DaShawn Gomez, Curtis Dennis, Tre Bowman and A.J. English.
“When I first heard that I was granted my waiver I was really excited,” Sledge told SNY.vv. “The first thing that came to mind was stay in the gym, keep working on my game and think about the upcoming season.”
He added: “As far as what I know I can bring to the table, my speed, my athleticism, being an all-around smart point guard. Getting players involved and putting shooters and big men in spots where I know they’re more dominant and they can help us win a game.”
Iona coach Tim Cluess, who continues to add transfers and junior college players with experience, was thrilled.
“I commend my staff and our compliance administrators once again in their tireless effort and assistance in preparing the waiver for Tavon,” he said. “The NCAA is also thanked for their diligence in the decision making process to allow him to play.”
Sledge spent one season at Iowa State and saw limited action in eight games during the 2011-12 campaign.
Sledge played alongside current Milwaukee Bucks forward Tobias Harris at Half Hollow Hills West High School in Dix Hills, N.Y. on Long Island. A two-time All-State, All-Long Island and All-Conference recipient, Sledge averaged 25.3 points, 5.2 assists and 3.5 steals, and led Half Hollow Hills West to an 18-6 mark and a Class AA state semifinal appearance.
