No team won as much in the Big East preseason awards as St. John’s. The team was picked to finish first in the conference since 1991 and their captain won its most prominent honor.
Zuby Ejiofor was named by the conference’s coaches as the Big East preseason player of the year award winner on Tuesday morning, becoming the first Red Storm player to earn the distinction since Shamorie Ponds in 2018.
Also taking
a spot on the All-Big East First Team, Ejiofor was among five Johnnies to earn all-conference recognition — the first time a quintuple earned all-league honorees in conference history. Joining Ejiofor was Bryce Hopkins on the first team, Ian Jackson on the second team, and Joson Sanon and Dillon Mitchell on the third team.
The big man from Garland, Texas has come a long way and blossomed into one of the country’s premier centers in his time at St. John’s. Ejiofor won the Big East Most Improved Player award last season after averaging 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds, leading the country in offensive boards, and helping the Johnnies win its first conference tournament title in 25 years and its first outright regular season title in 40 years.
Ejiofor and the Red Storm will take on No. 7 Michigan in their final preseason tune-up game on Saturday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Madison Square Garden and the game will be broadcast on Big Ten+.
