Whichever team draws St. John's when the NCAA tournament bracket is revealed may have just caught a break.
An already undersized Johnnies team will be without its lone true big man and best defensive player.
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Chris Obekpa, the nation's fifth-leading shot blocker, has been suspended for the next two weeks as a result of an unspecified team rules violation, St. John's coach Steve Lavin announced Sunday afternoon. Obekpa would not be eligible to return to the team prior to March 29, which means the Johnnies would have to make the Final Four for him to play again this season.
To say the least, that's a long shot. Most mock brackets projected St. John's (21-11) in the 8-9-seed range before the Obekpa news. It's possible the selection committee could drop the Johnnies further as a result of the suspension, though the timing of the announcement does not give it much time to adjust the bracket.
"All of the young men associated with our program are held to standards consistent with the aims and mission of our university," Lavin said in a school-released statement. "Accountability is tied to the decision making of our student-athletes. It is our hope Chris will learn from this experience."
Obekpa, a 6-foot-10 junior, averaged 7.0 rebounds, 5.8 points and 3.2 blocks per game this season. He nearly transferred after last season, further calling into question whether he will return to St. John's for his senior season.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1HUFy8x
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