Tom Lewis Leaving USC, May Transfer to UC Irvine

Tom Lewis, who Friday announced that his request to transfer from USC had been granted, has contacted UC Irvine Coach Bill Mulligan about the possibility of attending that school, Mulligan said.

“Tommy’s told me he’s interested in coming here,” Mulligan said. “Our athletic director has written a letter to Mike McGee, and we’re waiting for a response.”

Lewis, USC’s leading scorer last season, became the team’s third freshman to have his transfer request approved by USC Athletic Director Mike McGee.

Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers, who along with Lewis were informed Monday in letters from Coach George Raveling that their athletic scholarships would not be renewed for the 1986-87 academic year, received releases Thursday.

The releases enable the players to seek scholarships elsewhere.

Mulligan said Lewis had spoken with him “a couple of days ago” but he does not plan to pursue the matter further until UC Irvine Athletic Director John Caine receives a response from McGee.

Mulligan has indicated that Lewis would be welcomed at UC Irvine, but Mulligan expects several high-powered programs to contact the former Santa Ana Mater Dei High School star in the next few days.

In a prepared statement Friday, Lewis said: “Today, after careful consideration and much regret, I have asked Athletic Director Mike McGee for my release from my athletic scholarship. It was my feeling that, considering the circumstances of the past month, I would be better off transferring to another school than appealing Coach Raveling’s decision. He did what I am sure he thought was best for his program. . . .

“I was recruited out of Mater Dei High School by some very prestigious basketball programs, but I will never regret the decision to go to USC and play for (former) Coach Stan Morrison. What I regret is that we did not win enough games this year to keep Coach Morrison his job. I also regret that I will be leaving USC without a degree because the academics at this university played a large part in my decision to go here.”

According to NCAA rules, the players will have three years of eligibility remaining at another school but must sit out next season. Kimble and Gathers have not indicated which schools they will consider. Lewis averaged 17.6 points last season and joined Gathers on the Pacific 10 all-freshman team.

Raveling, named last month to replace Morrison as USC’s coach, said he will not comment publicly on the situation until next week. On Monday, Raveling wrote to the three players, telling them that their scholarships were not being renewed because of their failure to inform him by last Friday whether they wanted to remain at the university.

Now an associate athletic director at USC, Morrison said Friday that he was disturbed about the circumstances involved in the severing of the relationship between the university and the three players he recruited.

“There’s been a tremendous miscommunication problem, and a lot of very good people have suffered as a result,” Morrison said. “I’m not talking only about the players but also about the people here at USC as well. I feel badly.”

Times staff writer Jim McCurdie contributed to this story.