About two months after Rick Pitino was hired to coach St. John’s in March 2023, Zuby Ejiofor joined the Red Storm as former top recruit who received limited playing time in his only season at Kansas.
He was Joel Soriano’s backup in his first season at St. John’s, but in the past two seasons, Ejiofor has been among the key figures helping the Red Storm elevate into the upper echelon of the Big East Conference.
Ejiofor will play his final home contest after being honored in a pregame ceremony Tuesday night when No. 15 St. John’s hosts Georgetown in New York.
The Red Storm (23-6, 16-2 Big East) are a half-game behind UConn for the conference lead after Ejiofor posted a triple-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds and career-high 10 assists in Saturday’s 89-57 rout of Villanova. The 32-point victory occurred three days after a 72-40 loss at UConn.
Ejiofor averaged 4.3 points in 11.2 minutes two seasons ago when St. John’s finished 20-13 and just missed the NCAA Tournament. Last season, he helped the Red Storm win the Big East tournament for the first time since 2000 by averaging 14.7 and 8.1 rebounds. The 6-foot-9 senior forward entered this season as the conference’s preseason player of the year.
“You see what this game means to (Pitino), and it’s not just the basketball,” Ejiofor said. “I literally grew up here the past three years. I remember coming in nervous with Coach Pitino and St. John’s and trying to perform. I still make mistakes, but I am able to play through it (now), and that starts with him.”
On Saturday, Ejiofor recorded the second triple-double in the Big East this season. He also joined former teammate Kadary Richmond along with Ron Artest and David Cain as the fourth player in school history with a triple-double since 1993.
“It’s a great match because he brings it every single day,” Pitino said. “That’s what the great ones do.
“I get on Zuby as much as (anyone). I give him a lot of love because he knows I love him . . . I know I can count on him every single day.”
Ejiofor had one of his six double-doubles this season when he collected 25 points and 10 rebounds in a 95-83 at Georgetown on Dec. 31. The Red Storm shot 50% (30 of 60) from the field, hit 15 3s in the first meeting and have won the past 10 meetings with the Hoyas.
Georgetown (13-16, 5-13) has matched its longest skid against the Red Storm and is finishing its sixth campaign at .500 or below in the past seven seasons, including the second in three seasons under coach Ed Cooley.
The Hoyas won four straight from Jan. 24 to Feb. 4, but a six-game skid has dropped them into a tie for last place with Marquette. Georgetown also is playing the rest of the season without leading scorer KJ Lewis, who suffered a left ankle injury after averaging 14.9 points.
Lewis was injured in a 76-60 loss to Marquette on Tuesday. In their first game without him, the Hoyas took a 91-84 loss at Xavier on Saturday. Kayvaun Mulready scored 19 points, Malik Mack added 17 while Jeremiah Williams started for Lewis and finished with 10 as the offense shot 52.7%.
“We have not obviously had the year that I anticipated that we would have,” Cooley said of his team, which was picked sixth in the Big East preseason poll. “It’s been disappointing. But at the same time, there’s still games to be played, and we want to make sure that we play with pride, play with an incredible amount of energy and toughness.”
