Chris Obekpa Suspended by St. John's: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
The St. John's men's basketball team is seemingly in good position for an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament, but its pursuit of a national title will begin without junior forward Chris Obekpa.
According to ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello, the Nigerian native has been suspended for two weeks due to a violation of team rules:
Zach Braziller of the New York Post reported it was for testing positive for marijuana after taking a drug test.
That means he will be available for the Red Storm if they make a run deep into the tourney, per Josh Newman of the Asbury Park Press:
Obekpa is the team's second-leading rebounder at seven per game, and he is its top defensive force in the paint as well, as he registers over three blocks per contest.
According to Seth Davis of CBS Sports, Obekpa is one of the most prolific shot-blockers in the country:
As pointed out by ESPN.com's Andy Katz, news of Obekpa's suspension could have an impact on how the NCAA tournament selection committee seeds the Red Storm:
The overarching assumption is that St. John's will go dancing, but having any type of success in the tourney will be difficult without such a strong defensive presence.
There may be some excitement for Red Storm fans on Selection Sunday, but it will undoubtedly be tempered due to the news regarding Obekpa.
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