Marcus LoVett, a top-100 point guard known for his ballhandling, was ruled a partial academic qualifier last season, just under a year to this date.
It was a huge blow to the Johnnies, who expected to have the six-foot point guard on the floor directing the all-new team of seldom-used reserves, raw freshmen and graduate transfers.
The NCAA’s ruling limited him to practice; a knee injury kept him from even that. That didn’t slow down the mental side of adjusting to college for LoVett. He kept himself busy, coiled and waiting for his time to shine under the bright lights of college.