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As of Wednesday afternoon, Marcus LoVett’s father had retweeted a tweet stating his son would not play again this year. Check out the tweet below retweeted by his father.
@Marcus_LoVett is finished playing for the 2017-2018 season...#rehab Stay tuned...St. John Red Storm now & forever #SJUBB @latimessports @nypostsports #family #fans #love #respect pic.twitter.com/ZUQVvtFfgf
— WE WIN WEST (@WeWinWest) January 10, 2018
Marcus LoVett Jr. last played against Central Florida in late November. He has been held out of play due to a sprained MCL on his left knee. His fiery presence on the court has been greatly missed. St. John’s has faltered to a 4-6 record without LoVett.
Just last night, coach Chris Mullin said he expected LoVett to practice today. The tweets from LoVett’s father suggest otherwise, although St. John’s is not committing to shutting him down, as reported by Zach Braziller.
No decision has been made going forward of Marcus LoVett's status within the program, I'm told. #sjubb. It was always seen as unlikely he would be back next year.
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) January 10, 2018
As Braziller also points out, LoVett has been given the opportunity to test his knee out by doctors. Strangely, he has remained on the sidelines.
For a while now, Marcus LoVett was told by doctors he could test the knee. On a few occasions he told coaches he was feeling good. Yet he remained sidelined. #sjubb
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) January 10, 2018
Marcus LoVett was cleared for basketball activity roughly a month ago, according to several sources. #sjubb
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) January 10, 2018
As reported above by the NY Post, it is possible we have seen the last of LoVett with St. John’s. Coming up on his 22nd birthday, LoVett could be ready to play professionally. Just last March he considered playing in Europe, before ultimately staying at St. John’s.
There is still a lot more to learn and take away from this situation. Stay tuned here at Rumble in the Garden for all updates.
UPDATE:
St. John’s coaching staff was caught off guard by the announcement by LoVett’s father. Zach Braziller of the NY Post reports that the staff had no plans of shutting him down.
The announcement by Marcus LoVett's dad caught the staff off guard. There was no discussion about him being shut down internally. #sjubb
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) January 10, 2018
Further Update:
The St. John’s basketball program has officially announced that Marcus LoVett will miss the rest of the season.
“Marcus has a bright future ahead, so while it is disappointing that he will miss the remainder of the season, his long-term health is the primary focus,” said St. John’s head coach Chris Mullin in a press release.