St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s Rakes in Record Haul of Preseason BIG EAST Accolades
10/21/2025 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Red Storm men’s basketball team picked to repeat as BIG EAST champions, Zuby Ejiofor named Preseason Player of the Year
NEW YORK – Ahead of its most highly anticipated season in decades, the No. 5 St. John's men's basketball team has received a record-breaking amount of preseason recognition from the BIG EAST's coaches. The honors were announced this morning prior to BIG EAST Media Day at Madison Square Garden. To watch all the action from The World's Most Famous Arena, tune in to Peacock at 9 a.m.
Coming off a sweep of the BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament Championships in 2024-25 and ranked fifth in the Associated Press Preseason Poll, the Johnnies have been picked to repeat atop the league standings. The Red Storm garnered seven out of a possible 10 first place votes in the preseason coaches' poll, which was released on Tuesday in conjunction with BIG EAST Media Day at Madison Square Garden. The conference's coaches also selected Zuby Ejiofor, a First Team All-BIG EAST pick and the league's most improved player a season ago, as their BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year.
Ejiofor leads a group of five Johnnies who received preseason all-league recognition from the BIG EAST. It is believed to be the first time in league history that five players from the same program have earned Preseason All-BIG EAST selection in the same season. Bryce Hopkins, a 2023 First Team All-BIG EAST pick at Providence, found a spot on the Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team. Ian Jackson earned a place on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team while fellow newcomers Joson Sanon and Dillon Mitchell were selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team.
This selection marks the first time since the 1991-92 preseason that St. John's has been picked to finish atop the league. That selection came after the Red Storm advanced to the Elite Eight in 1991 before falling to eventual national champion Duke.
Ejiofor became the first Johnnie to be named BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year since Shamorie Ponds ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. Prior to Ponds, no Johnnie had taken home the league's top preseason individual honor since the legendary Malik Sealy ahead of the aforementioned 1991-92 season.
The Red Storm is entering its third year under the direction of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Head Coach Rick Pitino, the reigning BIG EAST Coach of the Year who won three separate national coach of the year awards a season ago. The winningest active coach in college basketball and the fifth winningest coach all-time, Pitino captured his 15th conference tournament and his 13th regular season conference title in 2024-25. Dating back to 2009, Pitino has now claimed four of the last seven BIG EAST Tournaments in which he has participated (2009, 2012, 2013, 2025).
Ejiofor is coming off a breakout season in 2024-25, earning selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team after averaging 14.7 points on 57.7% shooting to go along with 8.1 rebounds per game. The junior forward ranked 13th in the league in scoring and second in rebounding behind Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner. Ejiofor led the nation in offensive rebounding, pulling down 4.4 boards per contest off the offensive glass.
The BIG EAST leader in double-doubles with 10, Ejiofor logged a performance for the ages in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament when he posted a St. John's BIG EAST Tournament record 33 points, going 11-of-15 from the field and 11-of-12 from the charity stripe against Marquette. After scoring 20 points in the conference title game against Creighton, Ejiofor unsurprisingly earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
Also, a standout in the classroom, Ejiofor earned Second Team Academic All-American honors from College Sports Communicators.
After missing a majority of the last two seasons with injury, Hopkins looks to return to All-BIG EAST form in his debut season with the Johnnies. In 50 games over three seasons at Providence, Hopkins averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. In 2022-23, his first season with the Friars, Hopkins earned First Team All-BIG EAST honors after leading Providence to 21 wins and an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
A former McDonald's All-American, Jackson returns to his native New York following a standout freshman season at North Carolina. The seventh-rated transfer recruit in the nation according to 247Sports, Jackson averaged 11.9 points per game for the Tar Heels, shooting 45.6% from the floor and 39.5% from beyond the arc. He finished in double figures 19 times and had eight performances of 20-plus points.
Sanon arrived in Queens following a promising freshman campaign at Arizona State. A former consensus top 25 high school recruit from Fall River, Mass., Sanon averaged 11.9 points in 28.2 minutes per outing. He shot 36.9% from 3-point range and posted three games with 20 or more points.
A proven veteran, Mitchell started 106 of his 107 appearances in three seasons at Texas and Cincinnati. A former McDonald's All-American and consensus five-star recruit, Mitchell averaged 9.9 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Bearcats last season, shooting a blistering 61.4% from the field and ranking 10th nationally with 66 dunks. The owner of 15 career double-doubles, Mitchell is also widely viewed as one of college basketball's most tenacious defenders.
Tickets for the 2025-26 St. John's Men's Basketball season are on sale now through the St. John's Ticket Office. Full season ticket packages are sold out, but fans can still purchase a Madison Square Garden Plan that secures your access to all 12 regular season St. John's games at "The World's Most Famous Arena." This season will mark the first time that St. John's has played a dozen regular season games at "The Mecca" since 1951-52.
Single-game tickets are also available for purchase by calling 1-888-GO-STORM or by clicking here.
2025-26 BIG EAST Men's Basketball Preseason Honors:
Preseason Player of the Year- Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's, F, Sr., 6-9, 245, Garland, Texas
Preseason Freshman of the Year- Braylon Mullins, UConn, G, Fr., 6-6, 196, Greenfield, Ind.
Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team:
Solo Ball, UConn, G, Jr., 6-4, 200, Leesburg, Va.
Alex Karaban, UConn, F, R-Sr., 6-8, 230, Southborough, Mass.
Tarris Reed Jr., UConn, C, Sr., 6-11, 265, St. Louis, Mo.
Owen Freeman, Creighton, F, Jr., 6-10, 240, Moline, Ill.
Chase Ross, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-5, 210, Dallas, Texas
Bryce Hopkins, St. John's, G-F, Sr., 6-7, 220, Oak Park, Ill.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team:
Silas Demary, UConn, G, Jr., 6-4, 195, Raleigh, N.C.
Josh Dix, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-6, 205, Council Bluffs, Iowa
KJ Lewis, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-4, 210, El Paso, Texas
Jason Edwards, Providence, Gr., G, 6-1, 180, Atlanta, Ga.
Ian Jackson, St. John's, G, So., 6-5, 195, Bronx, N.Y.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team
Nik Graves, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-2, 190, Durham, N.C.
Jackson McAndrew, Creighton, So., F, 6-10, 225, Wayzata, Minn.
CJ Gunn, DePaul, Sr., G, 6-7, 200, Indianapolis, Ind.
Malik Mack, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-2, 175, Oxon Hill, Md.
Oswin Erhunmwunse, Providence, F, So., 6-10, 235, Benin City, Nigeria
Dillon Mitchell, St. John's, F, Sr. 6-8, 210, Tampa, Fla.
Joson Sanon, St. John's, G, So., 6-5, 200, Fall River, Mass
2025-26 BIG EAST Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll
First place votes in parentheses
Coming off a sweep of the BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament Championships in 2024-25 and ranked fifth in the Associated Press Preseason Poll, the Johnnies have been picked to repeat atop the league standings. The Red Storm garnered seven out of a possible 10 first place votes in the preseason coaches' poll, which was released on Tuesday in conjunction with BIG EAST Media Day at Madison Square Garden. The conference's coaches also selected Zuby Ejiofor, a First Team All-BIG EAST pick and the league's most improved player a season ago, as their BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year.
Ejiofor leads a group of five Johnnies who received preseason all-league recognition from the BIG EAST. It is believed to be the first time in league history that five players from the same program have earned Preseason All-BIG EAST selection in the same season. Bryce Hopkins, a 2023 First Team All-BIG EAST pick at Providence, found a spot on the Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team. Ian Jackson earned a place on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team while fellow newcomers Joson Sanon and Dillon Mitchell were selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team.
This selection marks the first time since the 1991-92 preseason that St. John's has been picked to finish atop the league. That selection came after the Red Storm advanced to the Elite Eight in 1991 before falling to eventual national champion Duke.
Ejiofor became the first Johnnie to be named BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year since Shamorie Ponds ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. Prior to Ponds, no Johnnie had taken home the league's top preseason individual honor since the legendary Malik Sealy ahead of the aforementioned 1991-92 season.
The Red Storm is entering its third year under the direction of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Head Coach Rick Pitino, the reigning BIG EAST Coach of the Year who won three separate national coach of the year awards a season ago. The winningest active coach in college basketball and the fifth winningest coach all-time, Pitino captured his 15th conference tournament and his 13th regular season conference title in 2024-25. Dating back to 2009, Pitino has now claimed four of the last seven BIG EAST Tournaments in which he has participated (2009, 2012, 2013, 2025).
Ejiofor is coming off a breakout season in 2024-25, earning selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team after averaging 14.7 points on 57.7% shooting to go along with 8.1 rebounds per game. The junior forward ranked 13th in the league in scoring and second in rebounding behind Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner. Ejiofor led the nation in offensive rebounding, pulling down 4.4 boards per contest off the offensive glass.
The BIG EAST leader in double-doubles with 10, Ejiofor logged a performance for the ages in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament when he posted a St. John's BIG EAST Tournament record 33 points, going 11-of-15 from the field and 11-of-12 from the charity stripe against Marquette. After scoring 20 points in the conference title game against Creighton, Ejiofor unsurprisingly earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
Also, a standout in the classroom, Ejiofor earned Second Team Academic All-American honors from College Sports Communicators.
After missing a majority of the last two seasons with injury, Hopkins looks to return to All-BIG EAST form in his debut season with the Johnnies. In 50 games over three seasons at Providence, Hopkins averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. In 2022-23, his first season with the Friars, Hopkins earned First Team All-BIG EAST honors after leading Providence to 21 wins and an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
A former McDonald's All-American, Jackson returns to his native New York following a standout freshman season at North Carolina. The seventh-rated transfer recruit in the nation according to 247Sports, Jackson averaged 11.9 points per game for the Tar Heels, shooting 45.6% from the floor and 39.5% from beyond the arc. He finished in double figures 19 times and had eight performances of 20-plus points.
Sanon arrived in Queens following a promising freshman campaign at Arizona State. A former consensus top 25 high school recruit from Fall River, Mass., Sanon averaged 11.9 points in 28.2 minutes per outing. He shot 36.9% from 3-point range and posted three games with 20 or more points.
A proven veteran, Mitchell started 106 of his 107 appearances in three seasons at Texas and Cincinnati. A former McDonald's All-American and consensus five-star recruit, Mitchell averaged 9.9 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Bearcats last season, shooting a blistering 61.4% from the field and ranking 10th nationally with 66 dunks. The owner of 15 career double-doubles, Mitchell is also widely viewed as one of college basketball's most tenacious defenders.
Tickets for the 2025-26 St. John's Men's Basketball season are on sale now through the St. John's Ticket Office. Full season ticket packages are sold out, but fans can still purchase a Madison Square Garden Plan that secures your access to all 12 regular season St. John's games at "The World's Most Famous Arena." This season will mark the first time that St. John's has played a dozen regular season games at "The Mecca" since 1951-52.
Single-game tickets are also available for purchase by calling 1-888-GO-STORM or by clicking here.
2025-26 BIG EAST Men's Basketball Preseason Honors:
Preseason Player of the Year- Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's, F, Sr., 6-9, 245, Garland, Texas
Preseason Freshman of the Year- Braylon Mullins, UConn, G, Fr., 6-6, 196, Greenfield, Ind.
Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team:
Solo Ball, UConn, G, Jr., 6-4, 200, Leesburg, Va.
Alex Karaban, UConn, F, R-Sr., 6-8, 230, Southborough, Mass.
Tarris Reed Jr., UConn, C, Sr., 6-11, 265, St. Louis, Mo.
Owen Freeman, Creighton, F, Jr., 6-10, 240, Moline, Ill.
Chase Ross, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-5, 210, Dallas, Texas
Bryce Hopkins, St. John's, G-F, Sr., 6-7, 220, Oak Park, Ill.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team:
Silas Demary, UConn, G, Jr., 6-4, 195, Raleigh, N.C.
Josh Dix, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-6, 205, Council Bluffs, Iowa
KJ Lewis, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-4, 210, El Paso, Texas
Jason Edwards, Providence, Gr., G, 6-1, 180, Atlanta, Ga.
Ian Jackson, St. John's, G, So., 6-5, 195, Bronx, N.Y.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team
Nik Graves, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-2, 190, Durham, N.C.
Jackson McAndrew, Creighton, So., F, 6-10, 225, Wayzata, Minn.
CJ Gunn, DePaul, Sr., G, 6-7, 200, Indianapolis, Ind.
Malik Mack, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-2, 175, Oxon Hill, Md.
Oswin Erhunmwunse, Providence, F, So., 6-10, 235, Benin City, Nigeria
Dillon Mitchell, St. John's, F, Sr. 6-8, 210, Tampa, Fla.
Joson Sanon, St. John's, G, So., 6-5, 200, Fall River, Mass
2025-26 BIG EAST Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll
| 1. St. John's (7) | 97 |
| 2. UConn (4) | 94 |
| 3. Creighton | 80 |
| 4. Providence | 64 |
| 5. Marquette | 60 |
| 6. Georgetown | 57 |
| 7. Villanova | 50 |
| 8. Xavier | 33 |
| 9. DePaul | 29 |
| 10. Butler | 26 |
| 11. Seton Hall | 15 |
Players Mentioned
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