Hampton University guard Jordan Nesbitt, the men's basketball team's leading scorer last season, will continue to miss time due to eligibility issues. Nesbitt's absence adds another chapter to the school's ongoing situation with student-athlete eligibility concerns. Hampton's athletic director Anthony Henderson spoke to the Virginia Pilot about the situation.

“He'll be back soon,” Henderson said. “We got a ruling from the NCAA, we're going to appeal it and hopefully get it down from where it is now. But he'll be back. If the appeal isn't accepted, and we're kind of where we are with with what they ruled, he'll be back before the end of the first semester. Before Christmas.”

The Hampton Pirates are currently 1-1 on the season without Nesbitt. They opened the year in a 92-80 loss to Howard, though they bounced back a few days later with a dominant 109-46 victory over Mid-Atlantic Christian.

Depending on the NCAA's decision, Nesbitt could miss all of Hampton's non-conference schedule. The Pirates would miss their star guard against teams like Norfolk State, whom they play on Nov. 13, James Madison, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, and the entirety of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.

Though Henderson was adamant in Nesbitt's academic success, he would not give a clear explanation regarding the suspension.

“Everybody assumes that it’s just because of bad grades,” Henderson said. “That’s not Jordan’s issue at all. His issue is, when he came in, there were things that should have been done that weren’t. And unfortunately, he is in a situation where now it’s coming back, and in order for us to fix it, he has to sit a couple of games.”

Last season, Nesbitt led the Hampton Pirates with 14.9 points per game, along with 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.