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The Arizona State basketball team finally received some good offseason news on Friday. Forward Shaquielle McKissic has been granted a sixth year of eligibility according to Herb Sendek. The Sun Devil head coach took to Twitter to make the news official.
— Herb Sendek (@HerbSendek) April 18, 2014
Because of his time out of basketball, Arizona State filed a waiver with the NCAA on behalf of McKissic for the right to have McKissic play another season in maroon and gold. Sendek was confident throughout the process that McKissic would have a successful appeal.
McKissic averaged 9.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season, averaging over 28 minutes a game in his first season in Tempe. He made 26 starts last season and will be the leading scorer from last year's squad returning to the team in 2014-2015.
McKissic was originally ruled a senior by the NCAA because he graduated from high school in 2009. However, McKissic spent two years out of basketball and even served time in jail on a charge of attempted residential burglary.
After turning his life around, he spent 2012-13 playing for Edmonds Junior College in Washington before coming to Arizona State.
McKissic leads a returning cast of: Jonathan Gilling, Bo Barnes, Eric Jacobsen, Chance Murray and Sai Tummala.