NCAA (finally) gives Temple’s Jake Forrester transfer waiver; he’s eligible immediately

The NCAA took its sweet time granting a transfer waiver, but Jake Forrester will be eligible immediately to play for Temple, the school announced Tuesday.

The Westtown School graduate, a Harrisburg native and son of a former Temple player, Dwight Forrester, transferred from Indiana after playing limited minutes as a freshman last season.

A 6-foot-8 forward with a high degree of athleticism, Forrester has been practicing and is expected to see time inside for Temple (4-0), and he will be available for Thursday’s game against Maryland in the Orlando Invitational. At Westtown, Forrester was part of a high school powerhouse that included current NBA players Cam Reddish and Mo Bamba.

"We are thankful that the NCAA has approved our waiver to allow Jake to play this season,'' Temple coach Aaron McKie said in a statement. “Jake has been competing hard in practice and we are looking forward to seeing him in game action.”

Forrester hasn’t always practiced with the Owls starters, saving reps for his eligible teammates. He and guard Tai Strickland, a Wisconsin transfer still waiting on an NCAA decision for his eligibility, have scrimmaged against the starters in practice.

Forrester told reporters at Temple’s media day that regardless of whether he received the waiver, transferring to North Broad was still the right decision for him.

“It’s been smooth,” Forrester said. “I definitely like where I am right now. I like my team, I like my teammates, I love my guys, and I can’t complain about anything.”