By LARRY VAUGHT

He understands college basketball is big business and that scholarships are renewed on annual basis.

Still, it’s understandably hard for James Pilgrim to accept that his son, Matt, did not have his scholarship at Kentucky renewed and won’t be on coach John Calipari’s first UK team.

“They didn’t renew his scholarship,” James Pilgrim said Thursday. “I don’t know if there was a particular reason or not.

“We’ve got to understand this is a business. It’s not about the kids. Matt doesn’t have a problem with the kids. But is it fair to commit — and I am not just talking about my kid — to a school and think your future is set and then have this happen? Kids do not understand that sort of business.”

It’s about numbers. Kentucky was still two players over the scholarship limit for next year if Jodie Meeks decides to return for his senior season rather than going to the NBA. That means Matt Pilgrim, who sat out last year after transferring from Hampton, and Kevin Galloway, a junior college transfer who played sparingly last year, are out.

They join Jared Carter, Michael Porter, Donald Williams, A.J. Stewart and Landon Slone who were on Billy Gillispie’s roster last year who will not be playing at Kentucky next season.

Kentucky has not officially announced the latest roster causalities. Instead, UK chose to announce who else is in the field — Cleveland State, Stanford, Virginia, Florida A&M, Oral Roberts, Rider and Sam Houston State — for the Cancun Challenge Nov. 18-25.

Pilgrim’s departure is somewhat of a surprise considering how teammates and former UK coaches praised his play during practice last year.

“When Pilgrim steps on the court, he is going to do Kentucky proud. He will help us all daily this year whether it is blocking shots — and he is a great athlete who can jump out of the gym and block shots — or banging down low with bigs or stepping outside on the perimeter,” said sophomore Patrick Patterson last season.

“He can do an array of things and that’s only going to make Kentucky basketball better. That will help us this year, but in the future he’s going to be a great player.”

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