(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
Shaquielle McKissic will be a Sun Devil for one more season.
— Herb Sendek (@HerbSendek) April 18, 2014
Team officials have confirmed that the tweet is true.
Sendek explained to the media Wednesday morning that Arizona State had submitted a waiver to the NCAA requesting another year of eligibility for McKissic. Each player in the NCAA has five years to play four and because of various personal issues McKissic has faced during his collegiate career he is being granted that sixth year of eligibility.
McKissic’s return is something to be celebrated with the recent mass exodus of players from Tempe because of graduation, draft declaration, and transfers.
If McKissic had not been granted another year the Sun Devils would be missing 74 percent of the team’s played minutes and 79 percent of its points from last season.
With McKissic back those numbers drop to a loss of just 60 percent of the minutes and 67 percent of the team’s points.
Although those numbers are still high, McKissic’s importance goes beyond the box score.
The shooting guard provides the team with an athletic player that will have another year to grow in an offense that Sendek said he wants to make even faster.
McKissic’s ability to get tough buckets when he drives into the lane as well as hit the corner and wing three partially answer the question of where this team is going to get its offense from next season.
Jahii Carson may be entering the draft. However, so are Aaron Gordon, Nick Johnson and Kyle Anderson.
Today, McKissic returns and that is the only news the Sun Devils will dwell on going forward.
You can reach this reporter via email @caneely@asu.edu or on Twitter @CammeronNeely
