There is no doubt any more: Zuby Ejiofor is one of the all-time greats in St. John’s men’s basketball history.
The Red Storm center cemented his case as a program legend when he was named the Big East Player of the Year award winner by the conference’s coaches on Wednesday afternoon, becoming the fourth player in program history to win the award, joining Chris Mullin (1983, 1984, 1985), Walter Berry (1986), and his former teammate R.J. Luis (2025).
Along with Player of the Year honors, Ejiofor also
became the second-ever Big East player to win awards for best player, Defensive Player of the Year, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in a single season. UConn’s Emeka Okafor was the only other player to accomplish this feat back in 2004. He also becomes the first ever Big East player to win the conference’s Most Improved Player award and then Player of the Year honors in the following season. In 2024-25, Ejiofor averaged 14.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks, and led the country in offensive rebounding.
Wednesday was a long time coming for Ejiofor. The 6-foot-9 center from Garland, Texas arrived at St. John’s as a shy, introverted sophomore who only had a cup of coffee at Kansas. Over the next three seasons, he transformed into one of the top centers in the country, an outspoken leader of men, and the face of the Red Storm’s dramatic revival under head coach Rick Pitino. At the award ceremony at Madison Square Garden, Ejiofor thanked Pitino in his speech for changing his life.
Ejiofor produced one of the most valuable seasons ever from a St. John’s player, bringing undeniable post play, tireless work ethic, a new element of playmaking to his game on a nightly basis. He was the only power-conference player to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists, and blocks, averaging 16.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 blocks.
Earlier this season, Ejiofor set a new-career high of 33 points in a game against Providence, and he became the first NCAA Division I player in four seasons to record eight blocks in back-to-back games when he did so against Ole Miss and Iona.
The top-seeded Red Storm start their Big East Tournament title defense on Thursday, March 12 against the winner of the first round matchup between Butler and Providence. Tip-off from Madison Square Garden is scheduled for 12 p.m. and the game will stream on Peacock.
