[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]There has been a lot of conjecture this past week on the future of Marcus Landry. Finally, at a press conference Monday, the freshman forward announced that he has been ruled academically ineligible for the spring 2006 semester and will be forced to sit out for the remainder of the season.

"As many of you know I have just found out that I have been ruled ineligible to play basketball this semester," Landry said. "The reason that this is so late and that you are finding out about this now is because I was going through a process that every student is allowed to go through with my professors in finding out what I could have done to get a better grade or what little thing I could have done to have been eligible to play basketball.

"I do have a slight disability that is being worked on as we speak, and I was going through the process of talking to my professors," Landry continued. "It was a little confusing with some of my professors in the way I was supposed to take test. I did retake some tests and I passed them, but some of the professors I was unable to get through and unable to get changed what I had done (sic)."

Hailing from Milwaukee, Landry attended Vincent High School where he was a unanimous first-team all-State selection by the Associated Press. According to Landry, his skills on the court gave him a chance that not many students from his high school receive in attending an academic institution such as UW.

"Many kids from Vincent High School don't get this kind of opportunity to play or to even get into a school like this," Landry explained. "I'm one of the students that took on this challenge from Milwaukee's Vincent and I'm here and I'm not going to stop fighting or stop working."

Before being ruled ineligible, Landry was averaging six points and three rebounds a game. Landry was also averaging 15.4 minutes a game. Now Landry will be required to sit on the bench and watch his teammates as they attempt to close out the Big Ten season on a winning note.

"I'm looking forward to helping my team in any way that I can when I'm not playing. … I was only hundredths of a point a way from being eligible and it hurts me and I know it hurts my teammates, but we are all in this together and we are all going to be strong.

"I'm sorry and I'm going to move forward and try to do my best to succeed in the end."