The NCAA season took its toll on Kadary Richmond and Aaron Scott.
The St. John’s guards were both set to undergo thumb surgery on Tuesday, head coach Rick Pitino announced. Pitino described their injuries as UCL tears.
“You guys played hurt and never complained,” Pitino wrote on social media. “Thank you my Warriors! You’re special!”
Scott suffered his injury when his right thumb bent backward as he contested a lay-up during this month’s Big East Tournament semifinal win over Marquette.
He went to the bench in visible pain but returned to that game less than three minutes later with the thumb on his shooting hand wrapped.
Scott played in each of the next three games, too, and averaged 6.0 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 5-of-24, including 4-of-15 on 3-point attempts. He shot 1-of-10 from the field in Saturday’s 75-66 loss to Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament’s second round.
Richmond, meanwhile, had played with a wrap on his left hand, which is his non-dominant hand.
The thumb issue was one of several injuries Richmond played through this season. After a Feb. 23 win over UConn, Pitino said “every part” of Richmond’s body was hurting.
“Kadary Richmond is more injured than any player I’ve coached right now, and he fights through it,” Pitino said at the time. “He’s got double groin pulls. He’s got problems all over his anatomy.”
The toughness of Richmond and Scott, both of whom transferred to St. John’s before the season, helped create the Red Storm’s hard-nosed, defense-first identity.
Both seniors appeared in all 36 games and started the majority of them.
They helped lead St. John’s to a 31-5 record, the Big East’s regular-season and conference tournament championships, a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the program’s first win at the Big Dance in 25 years.
Richmond, a Brooklyn native who transferred from Seton Hall, led St. John’s with 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while his 12.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game ranked third on the team.
Scott, who transferred from North Texas, averaged 8.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and earned a reputation for winning his battles for 50/50 balls.
Richmond and Scott are both out of NCAA eligibility and will need to be replaced this offseason. Same goes for Deivon Smith, a speedy guard who played with a nagging shoulder injury for more than two months.
“I’m very appreciative,” Pitino said of that trio after Saturday’s season-ending loss. “I’m very thankful to the guys who gave me every single thing they had.”