St. John's Zuby Ejiofor named Big East Player of the Year
St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor smiles after defeating UConn in an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in New York. Credit: AP/John Munson
One of the best stories in the Big East has another great chapter.
St. John’s center Zuby Ejiofor was unanimously 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. He is the first unanimous Player of the Year since Creighton's Doug McDermott (2013-14).
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.
Ejiofor leads the Red Storm 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.
He stands with only Chris Mullin, Walter Berry and RJ Luis Jr. as St. John's players to receive the award (Mullin won or shared it in three consecutive seasons). Ejiofor gives St. John’s a Player of the Year in consecutive seasons for the first time since Berry followed Mullin in 1985-86.
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.
Ejiofor scored 21 points in 24 minutes last Friday when the Storm won at Seton Hall to clinch the regular season title.
“In every timeout, he came in the huddle and, after I was done, he spoke to the team about what they have to do defensively,” Pitino said. “I've never had a player talk like that in timeouts and, to me, I respect that so much.”
St. John’s (25-6) will play at noon Thursday in a Big East Tournament quarterfinal against the winner of Wednesday’s first-round game between No. 8 Butler and No. 9 Providence.
“It's been a one heck of a journey, one that I wouldn't take back for anything,” Ejiofor said after Friday’s win, “and we still got more work to be done.”
Seton Hall's Shaheen Holloway was voted 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.
