By ADAM ZAGORIA
Guards Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore will both be game-time decisions when No. 15 Villanova visits St. John’s Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, head coach Jay Wright said Monday.
Both are dealing with ankle injuries.
Wright said Gillespie, who injured his ankle right ankle in Saturday’s win over UConn, did not sustain a fracture and called it a “severe sprain.”
“Even if they play I don’t expect either one to be a 100 percent,” Wright said of Gillespie and Moore. “We practiced today like we weren’t going to have either one of them.”
Gillespie, who suffered at torn MCL last March but returned for a fifth season, is averaging 17.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
Moore is Villanova’s second-leading scorer at 15.1 points along with 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
Wright said Chris Arcidiacono would start if either can’t play, and that “we’re going to have to spread” out the ball-handling duties without either or both Moore or Gillespie.
“Offensively is where it really hurts us because they’re such an integral part of what we do,” Wright said. “They make everybody better, that’s the beauty of what they do.”
Meantime, St. John’s point guard Posh Alexander also sustained an ankle injury and his status is uncertain, but Wright said Villanova is preparing as if he will play.
“He’s a big part of their pressure,” Wright said. “He’s a press in and of himself. [Dylan] Addae- Wusu is just as tough in pressuring the ball and the rest of those guys are pretty good.”
He added: “Posh is a big part of what they do but when he’s out of the game it’s not like they stop pressing. They still have a pretty good press.”
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