St. John's basketball news: Rick Pitino reveals injuries injuries to 2 key stars after Arkansas loss
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St. John's basketball entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed, riding the momentum of Big East regular season and tournament titles. With Rick Pitino at the helm, the Red Storm reclaimed relevance after years of struggles. However, their run ended in disappointment against Arkansas basketball, and Pitino later delivered even more bad news on the injury front.
Pitino announced on X that seniors Kadary Richmond and Aaron Scott, both instrumental to the team's success, would undergo UCL surgery on their thumbs after battling through the injuries during the season.
"Tomorrow Kadary and Aaron Scott will have surgery on their torn UCL thumbs. You guys played hurt and never complained. Thank you my Warriors! You're special!" the St. John's basketball head coach said.
Kadary Richmond played a pivotal role for the Red Storm all season, emerging as both a leader and a key ball handler. Logging 32.4 minutes per game, he averaged 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.0 steals, making a significant impact on both ends of the floor.
Aaron Scott, another key starter alongside Richmond, played 27.3 minutes per game and contributed 8.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks, providing versatility on both ends of the court.
However, in the second-round loss, the duo struggled, managing only 13 points on a rough 3-of-17 shooting from the field and 1-of-7 from three-point range. Richmond fouled out in his final college game, and it had been widely known before the Big East Tournament that he was playing through injuries.
St. John’s struggling against Arkansas
St. John’s standout and Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. had a rough outing on Saturday, sitting out the final 4:56 of the game. Despite leading the team with 18.5 points per game this season, Luis managed just nine points on a cold 3-of-17 shooting performance.
Although St. John’s ended a long drought with their first tournament win since 2000 by defeating No. 15 seed Omaha in the opening round, their momentum was short-lived. The excitement faded as John Calipari's No. 10 seed Arkansas Razorbacks stunned them in the second round with a 75-66 upset.
Arkansas basketball has now reached at least the Sweet 16 in four of the last five seasons. Before missing the tournament last year under Eric Musselman, the Razorbacks made back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2021 and 2022, followed by a Sweet 16 run in 2023.
Calipari now holds a 3-2 edge over Rick Pitino in NCAA Tournament matchups, with their last meeting dating back to the 2012 Final Four when Calipari led Kentucky and Pitino coached Louisville. The win also marks the first time a Calipari-led team has reached the Sweet 16 since 2019, following three straight early exits—two in the first round and one in the second.
Arkansas’ length disrupted St. John's all game, making every shot near the rim a challenge. St. John’s struggled to convert, hitting just 8-of-25 on layups. Their inefficiency fueled the Razorbacks' dominance on the glass, leading to 28 offensive rebounds and 25 second-chance points.
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