St. John's center Chris Obekpa out 10-14 days with ankle injury

St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin announced on Tuesday that sophomore center Chris Obekpa, will be sidelined with an ankle injury for 10-14 days.

Obekpa injured his ankle in practice on Monday and on Tuesday the MRI revealed a sprain and bone bruise in his right ankle.

"Chris is a central part of what we do on both ends of the court. Our team will have to step up collectively in his absence," Lavin said. "Chris is not only an outstanding defender with shot blocking prowess but his recent offensive contributions have been a significant part of our team's success. One of our team's strengths is depth so we are confident in our front line players' ability to see us through this challenging stretch."

The center has been the key to the team’s recent success and the injury will be a big blow to the team. The Nigeria native has averaged 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds over the Red Storm's last five games.