Highly touted freshman Rysheed Jordan didn’t play in St. John’s 96-87 victory over Youngstown State Saturday afternoon so he could be with his ill mother, Amina Robinson.
Robinson has been hospitalized the past two days and Jordan, the eldest of her seven children, went back to Philadelphia to be by her side.
“Our thoughts are with Rysheed and his mother Amina as she continues to persevere through health challenges,” St. John’s coach Steve Lavin said in a statement. “The maturity and strength that we see in Rysheed on a daily basis comes from his strong family bond.”
It is unknown if Jordan will miss any additional games. St. John’s plays Columbia next Saturday at Barclays Center. It all depends on the health of Jordan’s mother, according to Lavin.
“That will dictate everything,” the coach said.
The 6-foot-4 Jordan, the highest rated recruit of the Lavin era and the Big East preseason Rookie of the Year, was just beginning to hit his stride, averaging 10.7 points and four assists per game in his past three games. In nine games — six starts — Jordan is averaging 6.3 points and 3.0 assists per game.
Sophomore guard Felix Balamou made his season debut, taking Jordan’s spot in the starting lineup, and had two points and a rebound in 10 minutes. He was an anticipated redshirt after the athletic wing missed a large portion of the offseason, including the team’s European Tour, after suffering a severely sprained ankle against Villanova in the Big East Tournament last March. But Lavin said Balamou had impressed the staff with his play of late in practice, forcing his way into active status, and there is no connection between Jordan and Balamou’s status.
“We considered doing it six weeks ago because Felix had been playing so well in practice,” Lavin said. “His ankle injury has healed quicker than expected and his performance has continued to improve. It became more evident Felix can help us at both ends of the floor.”
As a freshman, the 6-foot-4 Balamou appeared in 28 games averaging two points and one rebound in nine minutes per game.