Marshall men’s basketball guard CJ Burks was deemed academically ineligible this week, meaning he will miss the first half of the Thundering Herd’s basketball season before he can apply for reinstatement.

Burks was the first person to inform the public of his ineligibility, posting on Twitter “I’ll let it be known…I can’t play the first half of the season.”

Burks, a sophomore, saw his first game action last year after sitting out the 2014 season with the redshirt designation. He appeared in 33 games last year, cracking the starting lineup three times for the Herd. He averaged 22 minutes a game, playing a well-rounded game for a guard. He averaged nine points per game, two rebounds and two assists while shooting 49 percent from the field.

Marshall is deep at the guard position and should not have a problem replacing Burks for the time being. Guards like Stevie Browning, Austin Loop, and Rondale Watson will need to replace Burks’ penchant for scoring efficiently.

This announcement came two days before Marshall played their first preseason game against West Virginia State on Thursday.