Dec. 23, 2008

QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's head men's basketball coach Norm Roberts announced that sophomore forward Justin Burrell should return to the Red Storm lineup when the team takes on Miami (Fla.) at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, after the Christmas Holiday, on Dec. 27 (noon, ESPNU). Roberts also announced that the squad will be without second-year point guard Malik Boothe for approximately two weeks, who had a successful surgical procedure on Monday to repair thumb ligaments torn during St. John's victory over Marist on Dec. 20.

"We are extremely happy and fortunate to be getting Justin back, and we are glad that his injury is something that he can play with and deal with over the course of the season," said Roberts. "Malik is a big loss for us, but we are happy that it wasn't worse, and that it is something he will likely be able to recover from relatively quickly. We'll miss Malik, but as with other injuries we've had to deal with, it gives an opportunity for our young guys to step up and fill his position."

Burrell, who suffered facial fractures in the area of the zygomaticomaxillary complex after a collision with teammate Sean Evans at practice on Thursday, Dec. 18, was examined Tuesday morning by Kenneth Scioscia, M.D., of ProCare Health on Long Island, after being cleared by Sanyoo Lee, M.D., retinal specialist for the New York Knicks. Working with the St. John's medical staff and Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Medicine, Ron Linfonte, A.T.C., the medical team determined that Burrell's injury will not require surgery.

Burrell has been outfitted for a custom plex face shield by Marshall Katz, orthotist, which will be worn at all practices and games for the remainder of the season, beginning during the week of the Miami game. He missed both games of the 2008 Holiday Festival while recovering from the facial injury.

Boothe's injury occurred in the first half of Saturday's win over the Red Foxes, when a Marist player stepped on the sophomore point guard's hand in the backcourt after a scramble for a loose ball. X-rays at New York Hospital that evening were determined to be negative, and Ed Cadett, M.D., and hand specialist Michelle Carlson, M.D., gave Boothe clearance to play in Sunday's matchup with Virginia Tech. Boothe was able to play all 40 against the Hokies (5 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal).

Carlson examined Boothe on Monday at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and a MRI determined that Boothe had torn his two major thumb ligaments - the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and the radial collateral ligament (RCL). The ligaments were repaired by a minor surgical procedure in which a pin was inserted into the thumb, rather than a more invasive, major reconstructive repair, which was deemed unnecessary. As a result, Boothe should be able to return to the court in approximately two weeks and play with a thumb splint.

Lightning-quick and relentless on the defensive end, Boothe had taken over this season as the red Storm's full-time floor general. He averaged 8.4 points in the Red Storm's first 11 games, and has 55 assists (5.0 per game), good for fifth among all BIG EAST players. He is averaging 30.3 minutes in the Red Storm's first nine games. Freshman Quincy Roberts, sophomore Paris Horne and rookie TyShwan Edmondson are likely to take a majority of minutes at the point guard spot during Boothe's absence.

Earlier in the year, Roberts announced that senior Anthony Mason Jr. will miss the remainder of the 2008-09 season, as a MRI on Nov. 21 revealed a torn peroneal tendon in his right foot that required surgery, which was successfully performed on Dec. 15. He averaged a team-best 14.0 ppg in 22 contests a season ago, and will likely return for the 2009-10 season as a redshirt-senior.