St. John’s was anticipated to triumph over DePaul, even without their star player RJ Luis Jr. sidelined due to a groin injury for the first time this season. The 10th-ranked Red Storm are now gearing up to face UConn in what is considered one of their toughest challenges this season. The presence of Luis is deemed crucial for the upcoming game at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Coach Rick Pitino mentioned that Luis had not been ruled out for the game, leaving the decision up to the player himself as the Red Storm aim to secure a season sweep against the Huskies for the first time since 1999-2000. Luis, a standout in the Big East, leads St. John’s (23-4, 14-2 Big East) with an average of 17.6 points per game, ranking fourth in the conference.
In the recent victory over Creighton, Luis scored 23 points, but was later replaced in the starting lineup by Sadiku Ibine Ayo, who delivered a career-high 15 points in the subsequent game against DePaul. If Luis is unable to play, Ibine Ayo is set to start once more.
“We’ve been gradually meshing well together, learning to play off each other,” stated St. John’s senior guard Kadary Richmond. “It took some time for us to get used to each other.”
Devion Smith also transitioned from the bench to the starting lineup against DePaul, leading the Red Storm with 18 points. Richmond, contributing 17 points and nine rebounds, has been averaging 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in the last six games.
On the UConn side, the team is aiming to bounce back from a recent loss to St. John’s and secure a victory against Villanova. Despite some ups and downs throughout the season, the Huskies are determined to finish strong and enter the Big East tournament with momentum.
Sure! Please provide the text that you would like me to rewrite in the style you described.
