NEW YORK — Junior big man Chris Obekpa was among the players new St. John’s coach Chris Mullin met with before his introductory press conference on Wednesday.
Sophomore guard Rysheed Jordan was not in the meeting, and sources previously told SNY.tv he was in a wait-and-see mode about his future. Jordan averaged 14.1 points and 3.7 rebounds, but also dealt with several off-the-court issues, including a homophobic Tweet which he had to delete and the death of his grandmother.
“I saw Chris [Obekpa] today,” Mullin said, adding, “Talent usually makes a good coach. I did not see Rysheed.”
The 6-foot-9 Obekpa was suspended on Selection Sunday by former coach Steve Lavin for failing a drug test and missed the team’s second-round NCAA Tournament loss to San Diego State. Obekpa was in attendance at Mullin’s press conference, greeting fans in the back but did not address the media.
He may have another one-on-one meeting with Mullin in the near future.
“I just suggested that he go talk to Coach Mullin, apologize for his behavior and see what happens because that’s all you can do,” Sterling Nunnally, a St. John’s alum and former AAU coach who spoke with Obekpa at the presser, told SNY.tv.
“I told him, ‘You need to sit down with him as a young man, say you made a mistake and that’s it.’ He said him and his people are going to try to sit down with him.”
Obekpa averaged 5.8 points and 7.0 rebounds this season. He is not projected to be drafted.
If he came back to play for his senior year, he would automatically give Mullin’s team a shot-blocking presence in the middle.
Photo: USA Today Sports
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