(UPDATE: According to St. John’s coach Steve Lavin, Rysheed Jordan will play against Xavier, but will not start.)
St. John’s freshman guard Rysheed Jordan has been ruled questionable for Tuesday night’s game against Xavier after the death of a relative.
He was back in Philadelphia with his family on Monday, missing practice, but was scheduled to return to campus that night.
“Obviously it’s a very difficult time for the young man,” head coach Steve Lavin said. “We’ll approach it in an appropriate manner based on how Rysheed is navigating through this emotional minefield.”
Two people were found dead in a Philadelphia residence on Saturday afternoon from gunshot wounds. One of the two, a 30-year old woman, has been confirmed as related to Jordan. The body was found while Jordan was playing in Saturday’s game at Villanova. He found out when the game ended. Jordan also lost a friend in August that was shot and killed by a police officer while he was on a European tour with the team.
Tonight is a key game for St. John’s, as they host fellow Big East bubble dweller Xavier. Jordan’s emergence has been key in the Johnnies reeling off nine wins in their last 11 games to climb back into tournament contention.