St. John's Red Storm Donnie Freeman’s injury hurts, but St. John’s has replacement options By Zach Braziller Published July 2, 2026, 12:00 a.m. ET St. John's Babacar Sane, playing for Senegal in the FIBA World Cup this past March, could see a greater role for the Red Storm now that Donnie Freeman is out for the season with an Achilles injury. Getty Images Adversity has come very early for St. John’s — several months before the Johnnies’ first game of the 2026-27 season.
Donnie Freeman, the Red Storm’s projected starting power forward, will miss all of next year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon injury during a workout, coach Rick Pitino announced on X on Wednesday afternoon.
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It was a noncontact injury for the highly regarded, 6-foot-9 Syracuse transfer.