He first played college basketball at Wallace State Community College in Alabama from 1995 to 1996.[4][5] In 1996 Pledger was a second-team JUCOall-American after he averaged 25 points, 14 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 blocks a game.[6] With Wallace State, he was the 1996 Alabama Sports Writers Association Community College Athlete of the Year.[7]
Pledger then played basketball for West Virginia University for the Mountaineers, was a guard and captain of the basketball team in 1997–98, and graduated in 1998.[3][8][2] His two-point .560 field goal percentage in 1996-97 was fifth in the Big East Conference.[9] In his two seasons of play, he averaged 13.1 points per game, with a 51.1% field goal percentage.[3]