Rysheed Jordan taking a leave of absence from Red Storm

For those hoping to see a Rysheed Jordan breakout season, you will need to wait a little longer.

Jordan, the 6'4" sophomore guard out of Philadelphia who was a contender for the 2014 Big East Rookie of the Year Award, will be taking an indefinite leave of absence, according to the program.

"Rysheed will take an indefinite leave of absence from our basketball program and will not be with the team as he focuses his attention on personal and family circumstances," said head coach Steve Lavin.

Rysheed Jordan has said on social media that he expects this season to be his last, with aspirations toward the NBA. The agile and long lead guard was expected to have a breakout season after flourishing down the stretch for the Red Storm.

However, he lost his starting job after five games in favor of the more level-headed play of Jamal Branch.

Jordan still gets minutes, playing 65% of the time. And he is still an attack-minded guard, taking 27% of the team's shots while on the floor and stealing 4.6% of opponent possessions, which is top-50 in the NCAAs per KenPom. And he is the team's second-best guard scoring at the rim, connecting on 62.5% of his shots at the bucket per Hoop-math.com. Plus, Jordan's assists tend to come at the rim and in transition - he's an asset to the Red Storm's fast break attack.

But Jordan has not improved his efficiency or court vision, turning the ball over on 22% of his possessions and shooting 30% from beyond the arc.

Will Rysheed Jordan return after a game or two? Or will it be longer?

Will Rysheed Jordan pursue his professional dreams? He has solid athleticism, but has not shown enough to find his way onto an NBA roster, according to NBA scouts.

Or will he transfer closer to home, which would leave him pursuing his dreams at least a year later - and with only half a year to prove his pro worth?

Or will he return as D`Angelo Harrison did after his sophomore year suspension?

St. John's has played without Jordan before. Jordan, who received a technical foul on Wednesday after tossing a ball at Sterling Gibbs, missed one game with the flu (vs. Long Beach State) this season, and four games last year with a variety of issues and maladies. St. John's is 4-1 without Jordan in his two seasons.

This year, however, the St. John's roster has already been decimated by losses in the frontcourt - Keith Thomas' transcript issues and removal from the team, Adonis Delarosa's still-unresolved NCAA eligibility issues - and the roster was not fully stocked, with an eye toward leaving roster spots and minutes for the 2015 class.

But now, expect to see Lavin dig into the bench to find useful combinations, though the bench has not yet shone. Walk-on Myles Stewart could provide shooting; scholarship guard Felix Balamou can provide athleticism and defense; and walk-on David Lipscomb should provide back up point guard play.

None are as explosive as Rysheed Jordan, however. Despite his lack of starts, Jordan was an integral part of the Red Storm's top-5 per-possession defense. Will the defense change? Will the Johnnies play five-men 35 minutes or more?

What are your thoughts on how this will affect St. John's?