St. John's G Stith leaves team

Junior guard Malik Stith is leaving St. John's because of personal reasons, head coach Steve Lavin announced Wednesday.

The university said Stith would remain a part of the St. John's program as a student-worker and would continue on a path toward earning a degree in sport management.

"Right now I feel that I need to do what is best for my family," Stith said in a statement. "I am grateful for the opportunities given to me at St. John's and pleased to be able to continue to make progress toward my degree.

"Coach Lavin and I have met and talked over the past couple days about my future and the interest I have in contributing to the team as a student- worker."

Stith had played in all 23 games for the Red Storm this season, including five starts. He was averaging 2.6 points. He played in 81 career games, averaging 2.4 points.