Daryll Hill’s next show time: TBD.
St. John’s leading scorer is day to day and suffering from roughing of the hyaline cartilage behind his left knee cap, according to Ron Linfonte, St. John’s assistant athletic director of sports medicine. It will be treated with rest and physical therapy. Hill will miss at least both St. John’s Holiday Festival final against UMass on Wednesday night.
“I’m not frustrated,” said Hill. “I’ll just take it slow, day by day. I’ll play whenever I feel like I can produce.”
The junior guard, who is averaging 13.7 points per game this season, originally suffered the injury in high school, according to Linfonte. He said was it was reaggravated in the Red Storm’s win over Niagara on Nov. 26 and again during a loss to Duke on Dec. 21. Hill said it happened when he landed taking his final shot against the top-ranked Blue Devils.
“What Daryll is experiencing is not an uncommon injury for collegiate and professional basketball players,” said Dr. Answorth Allen, the St. John’s team physician. “Surgery would be an absolute last resort in this situation as there is no guarantee that surgery would correct the injury.”
Hill said he was told it was similar to injuries suffered by New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd and Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudamire.
The preseason all-Big East selection missed St. John’s 64-51 lost to Hoftra on Nov 29 after aggravating it the first time. The Red Storm defeated Columbia 63-39 in his absence Tuesday night.
“I told our guys that we don’t need one guy to try to get 20 [points],” head coach Norm Roberts said. “No one needs to be Daryll Hill tonight.”
Even so his teammates know more is expected of them without Hill on the court.
“I know there are going to be things that Daryll usually does, as far as defensively and I know that he’s not here so I’m going to have to pick it up,” sophomore Eugene Lawrence said.
Hill said that he is suffering from pain and feels it mostly when he puts extra pressure on his knee. He his currently trying to build up his quad muscles in order to relieve the pressure from his knee.
“They told me don’t worry about the surgery right now,” Hill said. “Just take it day by day, see how it feels not. Most likely it should go away.”
NOTES:
St. John’s posted 20 assists for the first time since its 79-68 win over Wagner on November 11, 2004-Liam Beisty scored his first career points in his first career game at St. John’s. The sophomore walk-on hit a three-pointer with 5.4 seconds remaining in the team’s win over Columbia-St. John’s improves to 15-7 all-time against Columbia. The series dates back to the 1916-1917 season.
