ST. LOUIS — The Saint Louis University men's basketball team was dealt a devastating blow on Wednesday. The team announced guard Javonte Perkins would miss the entire 2021-2022 season after tearing his ACL in his left knee.
Perkins suffered the injury in the team's first exhibition game of the year against Rockhurst University.
Perkins returned to SLU for an extra year of eligibility in 2021-2022 that was awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, he was named second-team All-Conference and led the Billikens in scoring with 17.1 points per game. Perkins shot .456 from the field, .376 from beyond the arc and led the A-10 in free throw percentage with .866.
“We are devastated for Javonte given the hard work he put in this summer to get ready for another elite season,” SLU head basketball coach Travis Ford said. “Because of that dedication and the fact that he is in the best shape of his life, I have no doubt that Javonte will come back just as strong after his recovery. He has many years of high-level basketball in his future, and we will do whatever it takes to support him moving forward.”
Perkins is a St. Louis native and played at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, Illinois before transferring to SLU.