Southeast Missouri State men's basketball recruit not eligible first semester

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt did not get the news he was hoping for regarding freshman point guard C.J. Reese.

Nutt said Tuesday that Reese was not approved academically by the NCAA Clearinghouse, meaning he will not be eligible to play for the Redhawks during the first semester.

Nutt had been hopeful most of the summer that Reese would be approved academically but said recently that it didn't appear likely.

Nutt said he expects Reese to be cleared to play after the first semester that ends Dec. 14.

"We fully expect him to be here when the semester ends," Nutt said.

Nutt said Reese, who played high school basketball in Chattanooga, Tenn., will fulfill his academic requirements in his home area of Atlanta.

Reese was not allowed under NCAA regulations to receive athletic aid until he was approved academically so he never enrolled at Southeast while awaiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Reese reportedly fell just short of qualifying academically, which is why Nutt doesn't anticipate him having any trouble being cleared after the first semester.

"I expect him to be eligible to play for us," Nutt said. "The good news is that he still wants to be a Redhawk. His scholarship will be set aside until he gets here in December."

Since Reese missed all of summer workouts and will miss preseason workouts along with the first couple months of practice and quite a few games. There is a chance he might be redshirted to preserve his four years of eligibility.

"Only time will tell. We'll make the best decision for our team at that time," Nutt said. "The main thing is we're looking forward to C.J. becoming a member of our basketball program."

Reese, the most touted among Southeast's three freshmen, was expected to play key minutes behind junior Lucas Nutt.

Dickey Nutt said he still feels good about the point guard position. He said freshman Jared White from De Soto (Mo.) High School could be in line to back up Lucas Nutt and senior shooting guard Marland Smith can also fill in at the point.

"I think Jared White has really come to campus in terrific shape. I've really been impressed with him," Dickey Nutt said. "He already has a college body. I look for him to help us at the point. Marland Smith played point in high school. He can help us there if we need him."

Jones finished

Dickey Nutt said forward Waylon Jones was denied a waiver by the NCAA to have a final season of eligibility.

Jones, who played just 28 minutes in 10 games and scored only four points last year, played sparingly in his two Southeast seasons after transferring from junior college.

"We knew it was a longshot. He'll stay with us as a student manager while he finishes his degree," Nutt said. "Waylon didn't play a whole lot, but I'm very proud of what he brought to our program. We're going to miss him. And he's going to be the first one in his family to get a college degree, which is a great thing."