NEW YORK — St. John’s freshman point guard Marcus LoVett has not yet been cleared by the NCAA, but the school is hopeful that the dynamic 6-foot floor general will be cleared in time for the season-opener Nov. 13 against Wagner, multiple sources told SNY.tv.
Like Kentucky freshman big man Skal Labissiere and Kansas freshman forward Cheick Diallo, LoVett and fellow freshman forward Kassoum Yakwe are both not yet cleared by the NCAA, although it appears that the 6-7 Yakwe will redshirt this season with the expectation of playing in 2016-17.
“Both are [NCAA] Clearinghouse issues,” one source told SNY.tv.
A St. John’s spokesman said there were no new developments on either LoVett or Yakwe as of the weekend.
Meantime, both the 6-foot LoVett and 6-1 freshman point guard Federico Mussini are practicing with the Red Storm, who were picked to finish last in the 10-team Big East under first-year coach Chris Mullin.
“Both of them [LoVett and Mussini] are incredible, both of them are incredible,” St. John’s wing Ron Mvouika told SNY.tv at Big East Media Day on Wednesday. “They’re exciting to watch play. If you’re a basketball fan, I’m sure you’re going to fall in love with both of them.”
He added: “They both got their strengths, they’re both real point guards. Federico is like a heckuva shooter, I mean absolutely amazing. Marcus, he sees everything. They’re both very similar and different at the same time.”
Mvouika said Mullin has been playing both guards together and they are excelling.
“They can play together, too,” he said. “That’s one thing that was surprising. They are really two exciting players to watch play.”
Added Pitt transfer Durand Johnson: “They’re both very exciting, they’re both fun to watch play and they both know the game. It’s not like they’re normal freshmen coming in for the first time playing basketball. They’re poised.”
Asked to describe their differences, Johnson said, “Federico, he can really shoot the ball. Marcus can shoot the ball, too. I would say they’re similar players because they both look to pass the ball first.”
“Watching [Mussini] and Marcus every day in practice it’s good because they both bring something different,” Johnson said. “They go at each other, and it’s good to see because you need that.”
If LoVett is not ultimately cleared, it could be a blow for the Johnnies. He was a four-star, consensus top-25 point guard who attended Morgan Park High School in Chicago. He finished fourth in the statewide vote for Mr. Basketball in 2015 after averaging approximately 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
With virtually an entirely new team, St. John’s will need strong ball-handlers to help run the show and serve as Mullin’s coach on the floor.
Defensively, St. John’s will need as many quality guards as it can to cope with a slew of big and experienced Big East guards, including 6-4 Kris Dunn, the Big East Preseason Player of the Year, 6-3 D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera of Georgetown, 6-6 Kellen Dunham of Butler, 6-3 Ryan Arcidiacono of Villanova, 6-4 Isaiah Whitehead of Seton Hall and 6-6 Billy Garrett Jr. of DePaul.
