Rysheed Jordan to be declared academically ineligible for St. John's

Rysheed Jordan's bumpy road continues as St. John's point guard is declared academically ineligible for fall semester. (Photo courtesy of the New York Daily News)

What started as a promising offseason for St. John's, and has continued as one in the weeks following the return of program icon Chris Mullin as head coach, has hit its first snag in the wake of the academic year coming to a close.

Point guard Rysheed Jordan, set to enter his junior season as the floor leader and face of the Red Storm team, is expected to be declared academically ineligible for the fall semester, according to Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News. If this ruling becomes official, the Philadelphian will not be able to return to the court until mid-December, days before Big East play begins.

Jordan averaged 14.1 points per game last season as St. John's reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011, falling to San Diego State in the Round of 64. However, his future has usually included the question of whether or not he would enter the professional ranks, which; according to Rubin's report, remains a strong possibility.

It is expected that Jordan will meet with Mullin during the coming week, which will lead to a decision on his future, for better or worse. Should this spell the end of Jordan's time in Queens, it will put the finishing touches on a promising career that never truly got a chance to blossom, due to unfortunate circumstances beyond his control.

Regardless of whether Jordan returns, St. John's remains strong in the backcourt, having secured the services of Pitt graduate transfer Durand Johnson to join a pair of newly signed freshmen in Malik Ellison and Marcus LoVett, the latter of whom is a four-star recruit from Chicago.