None of us here know enough about John's case to make this determination. It is possible for John to have avoided his NCAA "clock" starting last January when he enrolled. It's called "gray-shirting", and football recruits do it frequently (to bulk up and get stronger to play at the college level, or to improve their academics). Coach Cornelius of Yuba explained it on the board a couple years ago, and he sometimes employs it with recruits at Yuba College.
They enroll, are not on the official roster, they take a limited number of credit-hours to remain part-time students, and they take no scholarship money their first semester (or it can be up to a full year). That way their "clock" doesn't start until they actually begin playing or receiving a scholarship at the start of the next season, or when they become full-time students (12 hours per semester).
John's coach said he would retain 4 years of college eligibility, and it's possible he could be correct.
Here is a football definition, but it can apply to basketball, as well.-
http://www.dawgsports.com/story/2008/1/15/155239/437
http://recruiting-101.com/what-is-a-grayshirt-scholarship-offer/