St. John's Marcus LoVett ineligible to play this season
St. John's guard Marcus LoVett (3) makes a pass during the Red White Scrimmage at Carnesecca Arena on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. Credit: Steven Ryan
Four-star freshman point guard Marcus LoVett was ruled by the NCAA as only a partial qualifier on Wednesday, meaning he can practice but not play for St. John's this season. The decision comes as a blow to first-year coach Chris Mullin's program because LoVett clearly is the most talented member of a 10-man recruiting class.
LoVett will remain enrolled but must complete a year in residence while working to meet NCAA continuing eligibility requirements, the school said in a release.
"The University disagrees with the NCAA's decision and the process it used in reviewing Marcus' initial eligibility waiver request," St. John's interim athletic director and general counsel Joseph Oliva said in the statement.
"We have engaged in several conversations with the NCAA to express our concerns that their process may have violated Marcus' legal rights. Unfortunately, it appears that the NCAA elected to disregard these concerns. We have advised Marcus and his family to consult with appropriate legal counsel about the options that may be available to challenge the NCAA ruling and the standards it applied in this process."
LoVett was a consensus top-25 point guard who led Morgan Park High School in Chicago to a third-place finish in the Illinois Class 3A playoffs while averaging about 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. His junior season was spent at San Gabriel Academy in California, and he previously played two seasons at Providence High School in Burbank, California.
"Marcus deserves to play and has done everything asked of him," Mullin said in a statement. "Our staff is here to encourage Marcus as he continues to work hard on and off the court to be prepared to compete next season."
One other St. John's four-star recruit, forward Kassoum Yakwe of Our Savior New American in Centereach, still is awaiting NCAA clearance and remains ineligible. The Red Storm opens against Wagner on Friday night at Carnesecca Arena.
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
