By JOSH NEWMANspecial to ZAGSBLOG NEW YORK – As St. John’s continues to march back towards the NCAA Tournament conversation, it will have to do so without its best interior presence. The school announced on Tuesday evening, two hours before the Red Storm registered a 77-52 win over Butler at Madison Square Garden, that 6-foot-9 sophomore shot-blocking sensation Chris Obekpa will be out 10-14 after suffering a right ankle injury in practice on Monday. According to that timetable, Obekpa not only missed Tuesday, but will also be out Saturday at No. 9 Villanova and likely the Feb. 25 matchup against Xavier at the Garden. St. John’s plays DePaul at MSG on March 2, which is 13 days from Tuesday. We had practiced yesterday and once he tweaked it, turned it, he sat out, but he was walking on it and seemed to feel okay even last night walking over to dinner from our hotel,” St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin said. “When he woke up this morning is when he had the excruciating pain or discomfort and we knew we had to obviously have the doctors examine him.” Obekpa was examined immediately and treated on-site Monday by Red Storm Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine Ron Linfonte, A.T.C., in his 33rd season at St. John’s A follow-up examination was conducted on Tuesday by James Kinderknecht, M.D., at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. A MRI revealed a sprain and bone bruise in Obekpa’s right ankle. Obekpa’s 3.15 blocks per game rank him 11th nationally and first in the Big East. He is also averaging 4.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game. The injury gave 6-foot-8 grad forward God’sgift Achiuwa his third start of the season, while 6-foot-9 senior forward Orlando Sanchez played 26 minutes in which he scored seven points and hauled in 11 rebounds. “When your leader on defense is out, you know there’s gonna be a little change, you know?” sophomore wing JaKarr Sampson said after scoring a career-high 23 points in 11-for-15 shooting. “I feel like we’re a great defensive team all together.” Follow Josh Newman on Twitter
