Chris Mullin’s already difficult job just got even harder

The first-year St. John’s coach will be without starting center Yankuba Sima for the foreseeable future after he suffered a broken bone in his left hand in Wednesday’s loss to Xavier. The 6-foot-11 freshman will be out four-to-six weeks, the school announced Friday afternoon.

Sima, the most impressive of the four St. John’s freshmen, saw hand specialist Michelle Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan and was given the prognosis. He was enjoying a solid freshman season, averaging 8.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks — sixth-most in the nation.

Sima hurt his hand in the first half of the Johnnies’ 74-66 loss to Xavier. It appeared the injury came after one of his two first-half rejections. He iced the hand, re-entered the game briefly and didn’t play in the second half. Sima posted a photo on Twitter of himself lifting weights with a large cast on his left hand.

Without Sima, more will be needed out of fellow freshman Kassoum Yakwe, junior Christian Jones and sophomore Amar Alibegovic. St. John’s (7-9, 0-3 Big East) visits Marquette on Saturday afternoon, hoping to snap a six-game losing streak.