Saint Louis senior wing Javonte Perkins suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee and will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season, head coach Travis Ford announced today.
“We are devastated for Javonte given the hard work he put in this summer to get ready for another elite season,” 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 injured the knee in the first half of the Billikens’ exhibition game against Rockhurst on Tuesday, Oct. 26. He is currently under the care of Dr. Scott Kaar of SSM Health, the Billikens’ longtime head physician and orthopedic specialist.
Perkins was taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility in 2021-22, awarded to all student-athletes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last season, he earned second-team All-Conference honors after leading the Billikens in scoring with 17.1 ppg. He shot .456 from the field, .376 from 3-point range and an A-10-leading .866 from the free-throw line.
In 2019-20, Perkins was voted the Atlantic 10 Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year after leading SLU with 18.2 ppg in A-10 play, a school record. His 15.9 career scoring average ranks 10th in school history.
