St. John's Zuby Ejiofor named Big East Player of the Year
St. John's Zuby Ejiofor smiles after defeating UConn in an NCAA college basketball game on Feb. 6, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. Credit: AP/John Munson
One of the best stories in the Big East has another great chapter.
St. John’s center Zuby Ejiofor was selected the 2025-26 Big East Player of the Year in a vote of conference coaches announced on Wednesday at the Garden before the opening game of the conference tournament. A Sports Management major with a 3.70 GPA, Ejiofor also received the conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
The 6-9 senior from Garland, Texas., arrived at St. John’s for his sophomore season as a transfer after one season as a bit player at Kansas, a good defender who could rebound but had little in the way of an offensive game. Over his three seasons playing for Red Storm coach Rick Pitino, he has developed a tremendous array of skills. He can defend frontcourt players on the interior as well as guards on the perimeter, has the ability to score at all three levels and has become an excellent passer.
He leads the Red Storm in scoring average with 16.0 points per game and also averages 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 blocked shots. He is the only high-major player in Division I to lead his team in all four categories.
“I felt his athleticism was great: he could really jump, he was a great runner . . . (and) his shot had a lot of potential,” Red Storm coach Rick Pitino said. “But his hands got better, his passing got better, his shot blocking got better. . . . his improvement was amazing.”
He stands with only Chris Mullin, Walter Berry and RJ Luis Jr. as Storm players to receive the award (Mullin won or shared it in three consecutive seasons). Ejiofor gives St. John’s Player of the Year in consecutive seasons for the first time since Berry followed Mullin in 1985-86.
Ejiofor was at the Garden a year ago when Luis – his roommate – received the award.
“I wouldn't necessarily say I thought about winning it,” Ejiofor said of that experience. “I wouldn't say that was the first thing that was on my mind. It was more so like, ‘Man, I'm just really proud of my guy RJ,’ but then I'm like, ‘OK, so if he did it and I run it back, why can't I do it?’ And I did it.”
Ejiofor and Luis were part of Pitino’s first class of transfers and he said, “I didn't really think of it then: that RJ or Zuby would be Player of the Year in the Big East Conference. But we're extremely proud of both guys reaching that pinnacle and now our job is to find somebody to do it next year.”
One of St. John’s tri-captains, Ejiofor has been regularly praised by Pitino for the leadership qualities he has developed and displayed as the Storm captured their second consecutive outright regular season title for the first time in program history. Ejiofor was the only returning starter from the 2024-25 conference champions.
“I am proud of him for his accomplishments, sweeping those awards,” Pitino said. “I'm more proud of him the way he's emerged as a person. He came very introverted, very shy and he's leaving very extroverted, very gregarious. . . . I've never had a player in every timeout when I'm done speaking take over the huddle.. . . (at) any level and he's done that.”
St. John's faces Providence in quarterfinal
Top-seeded St. John’s (25-6) will play in a noon Big East Tournament quarterfinal against Providence (15-17), a 91-81 winner over No. 8 Butler Wednesday. The Friars upset St. John’s in their first meeting. St. John’s prevailed at Providence in a game marred by a brawl and seven ejections after Duncan Powell clotheslined Bryce Hopkins going for a layup.
Huntington's James honored
Marquette’s Nigel James Jr., a two-time Newsday all-Long Island selection for Long Island Lutheran who is from Huntington, was tabbed Big East Freshman of the Year. Seton Hall’s Shaheen Holloway was named Coach of the Year.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
