The St. John’s basketball team will have its first real test of the regular season on Saturday afternoon (12:00 p.m. ET, FS1) when No. 15 Alabama (1-0) arrives in Madison Square Garden and the No. 5 Johnnies could be shorthanded.
Point guard Dylan Darling suffered a calf injury on Monday night in the season opening victory against Quinnipiac and has not practiced.
Darling walked into The Garden on Friday afternoon for the Storm’s practice in a walking boot – something he’s had since Tuesday. The hope was for him to practice and see if he would be healthy enough to play against the Crimson Tide.
“I would say it’s 50/50,” Rick Pitino said.
Darling had six points, four rebounds, six assists, three steals, and only one turnover in his Red Storm debut, playing 17 minutes as St. John’s continues to mix and match players in its revamped backcourt.
“It doesn’t change anything,” Pitino explained about how the team will adjust if the Idaho State point guard is unable to play. “We just go to a different player. It doesn’t change anything.”
Darling said that he’s hoping to play, and the Red Storm would love to have him available against the plethora of talented guards of Alabama – led by Labaron Philon Jr., a Preseason First Team All-SEC selection, after averaging 10.6 points per game as a freshman.
In the season opener for the Crimson Tide, he posted 22 points and eight assists on 9-of-13 shooting.
Despite not having Latrell Wrightsell and Aden Holloway in its opener against North Dakota, Alabama is expecting to have both players available against the Red Storm.
Holloway averaged 11.4 points per game on 41.2-percent shooting from 3-point range last season while Wrightsell, who was limited to only eight games, posted 11.5 points on 42.2-percent shooting from deep.
Forward Keitenn Bristow is doubtful to play while guard Jalil Betha will remain out.