St. John's Brady Dunlap could be done for the season with abdominal injury
St. John's forward Brady Dunlap against Bryant at Carnesecca Arena on Dec. 11, 2024. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
St. John’s sophomore forward Brady Dunlap’s season is in jeopardy because of a small abdominal tear, coach Rick Pitino said Friday.
Dunlap, one of St. John’s top shooters, has been recovering from Dec. 19 surgery to repair a ligament injury in his left hand and the team had been expecting him to return next month. Pitino said Dunlap would be getting a second opinion Friday.
The question is whether the injury must be repaired surgically. If Dunlap doesn’t need surgery, he should return this season. If he requires surgery, Pitino said, the recovery time is three to four months.
“We’re getting a second opinion today [on] whether it’s fixable or whether we can do core work to fix it, but it’s very painful for him,” Pitino said. “We’re looking at all situations right now.”
Dunlap has appeared in 10 games this season and is averaging 5.7 points and shooting 47% in 16.5 minutes per game.
Dunlap has been plagued by illness and injury during his two seasons and was limited to 25 games as a freshman. He required a cortisone shot to treat discomfort in his hip this season. Pitino said the abdominal tear and the hip injury are unrelated.
“The poor young man who loves basketball has gone through so many injuries so far and he’s been in a lot of pain,” Pitino said. “I just don’t want his spirits to get down right now. So we’re exhausting every possibility to keep him from surgery, but he may have to have it.”
Pitino said that if he does not require surgery, “We hope he’ll be back to play, because we need his shooting.”
Freshman swingman Jaiden Glover is still battling a wrist injury that impairs his shooting and is unlikely to play Saturday night when St. John’s (13-3, 4-1) hosts Villanova (11-5, 4-1) at the Garden.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
