Three Johnnies Named to John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List

11/18/2025 3:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

St. John’s was one of three schools to have three players honored

QUEENS, N.Y. – A trio of St. John's men's basketball players - Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins and Ian Jackson were named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List.

The 2025-26 Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award will mark its fiftieth year presenting the prestigious honor to the nation's top college basketball player. The winner will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 10, 2026.

The Johnnies were one of three teams to have at least three players named to the list joining Kentucky and the defending National Champions in Florida,

The BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, Ejiofor, is off to a strong start to his senior campaign in 2025-26. The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging 18.3 points per game on 67.9 percent shooting from the field, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. The Garland, Texas native garnered the first BIG EAST Player of the Week award on Nov. 10.

Ejiofor burst onto the scene last season during his second year with the Red Storm. The team captain averaged 14.7 points per game on 57.7 percent shooting and 8.1 rebounds per game. The big man was named the BIG EAST's Most Improved Player increasing his scoring average by 10.4 and his rebound mark by 5.6 from the 2023-24 campaign. Additionally, he was selected as an All-BIG EAST First Team honoree leading the Johnnies to a BIG EAST Regular Season Championship. In the postseason, the former Kansas transfer shattered the St. John's BIG EAST Tournament scoring record exploding for a career-high 33 points against Marquette and was tabbed to the league's all-tournament team.

Hopkins, a seasoned veteran, has made an instant impact for the Red Storm adding 14.0 points per contest. The 2022-23 All-BIG EAST First Team selection arrives from three years at Providence from 2022-25. The Oak Park, Ill., native makes the Preseason Wooden Watch List for the third consecutive year. Over his career with the Friars, he recorded 15.8 points and 8.5 boards per outing over three seasons.

Jackson, a New York City native returned home after playing his freshman season at North Carolina. The guard ranks third on the team behind his fellow watch list honorees logging 12.7 points per game. The sophomore leads the team with five made triples and is shooting 45.5 percent from beyond-the-arc.

While in Chapel Hill, Jackson was an ACC All-Freshmen Team honoree and a finalist for the Kyle Macy Freshman of the Year award. The 6-foot-5 guard ranked second on the Tar Heels posting 11.9 points per game, including 13.5 per outing against ACC opponents. Jackson shot 39.5 percent from 3-point range and led North Carolina to an NCAA Tournament berth. A high school phenom, Jackson was a consensus five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American coming out of Our Saviour Lutheran.

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball, recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All-America Teams for men and women, and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient.

St. John's will be back in action on Thursday when it welcomes Bucknell for a 7 p.m. contest at Carnesecca Arena on TNT/ truTV.