LaQuinton Ross declared Non-Qualifier by the NCAA

The NCAA news just seems to get better and better.

Word came down from above today that LaQuinton Ross, the dynamic Guard/Forward out of Jackson, Mississippi (Life Center Academy) had been declared a Non-Qualifier for the 2011-2012 Men’s Basketball season.  From the OSU Athletic Department Release,

COLUMBUS, Ohio-LaQuinton Ross (6-8, 225, Jackson, Miss./Life Center Academy (N.J.)), a member of Ohio State’s 2011 recruiting class, has been designated a non-qualifier by the NCAA and will not be on the Ohio State men’s basketball roster when the team begins practice Oct. 14 for the 2011-12 season.

This is a bit of a surprise considering that is seemed like the NCAA was leaning towards allowing him to participate.  Clearly the questions regarding his high school grades is still an issue.

Bucknuts.com reported last week that two D grades Ross received in Mississippi were registered as C grades on his transcript. The NCAA has ruled they should be D’s. The problem is probably related to the grade scale being changed at the school at some point.

The difference in Ross’ cumulative grade-point average, combined with his entrance test score, could make him ineligible as a freshman.

This story is still developing, and will keep you updated as more comes in.

Update: The Columbus Dispatch has an excellent discussion of the in’s and outs of this case. Make sure to give it a read.

Update 2: From the Dispatch article, Ross has already returned to Mississippi, having flown back last night. He is now considered a prospect, and is available to be recruited by other schools.

In order to return to Ohio State, or to attend any other school, he would have to take similar classes to the ones that he received D’s in and pass them to the NCAA’s satisfaction, as well as retake the ACT. The earliest available ACT date is December 10th.

We were particularly looking forward to seeing Ross take the court in the Scarlet and Gray this season. That is still a possibility if he can find an acceptable class to take, though it is much more remote now. We’ll continue to monitor his situation and hope for the best.