Ohio State announced Monday that incoming freshman LaQuinton Ross was ruled as an academic non-qualifier by the NCAA and will not be on the Buckeyes’ roster when they open practice on Oct. 14.

Ross was the No. 43 overall recruit in the class of 2011 according to Rivals.com and was the highest ranked of the five players who committed to play for OSU coach Thad Matta this season. In his senior season of high school, Ross averaged 25.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game and 2.5 blocks per game, according to OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

As an academic non-qualifier, Ross did not meet the academic standards that are required for all NCAA Division I athletes.

According to the NCAA’s official website, an incoming student must be a high school graduate, achieve a 2.0 GPA and present a qualifying score on either the SAT or ACT. Academic non-qualifiers are not permitted to receive an academic scholarship for a full year, meaning that Ross likely won’t play for the Buckeyes until the 2012-13 season, at the earliest.

CBSSports reported on Monday that Ross, who attended high school at Life Center Academy in Burlington, N.J., would be returning to his home state of Mississippi to “take a class and retake the SAT.”