St. John's LoVett ruled a partial qualifier by NCAA
NEW YORK (AP) St. John's freshman guard Marcus LoVett has received partial qualifier status from the NCAA and will not be allowed to play this season.
The school was notified by the NCAA of its final decision after exhausting the appeals process, St. John's said Wednesday, two days before its season opener against Wagner. LoVett will remain enrolled at St. John's, but must complete a year of residence at the school before playing in games. He is permitted to practice with the team as he works toward meeting NCAA continuing eligibility requirements.
Chris Mullin, who starts his career as a coach at his alma mater, said he felt Marcus deserved to play and that his staff will work with LoVett to prepare for the 2016-17 season.
The 6-foot LoVett, a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, who played at Morgan Park H.S. in Chicago as a senior, was considered one of the nation's top scholastic point guards. He also attended Providence H.S. in Burbank, California, for two years and San Gabriel Academy in San Gabriel, California.
