St. John's University Athletics
Zuby Ejiofor Named 2026 Naismith Player and Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist
3/20/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
St. John’s senior forward is one of four players to be tabbed to both lists for college basketball’s top awards
SAN DIEGO Â - St. John's men's basketball standout Zuby Ejiofor was named a semifinalist for the Jersey Mike's Naismith Player of the Year and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year presented by MOLECULE, the organization announced on Friday.
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Ejiofor was one of 10 semifinalists named for each award, which will be presented during the NCAA Tournament Final Four in Indianapolis. The senior was one of four players to be named to both lists along with Michigan's Yaxel Landeborg, Arizona's Jaden Bradley, and Cameron Boozer of Duke.
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The Garland, Texas native has done it all for the Johnnies during his final campaign in Queens. The big man paces the team and ranks top-10 in the league in scoring (16.3 PPG), rebounding (7.1 RPG), assists (3.5 APG), blocks (2.1 BPG) and field goal percentage (55.6%). Â
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Over the team's current six-game winning streak heading into the Big Dance, Ejiofor has averaged 19.8 points on 67.1 percent shooting from the floor, 4.2 assists, 3.3 blocks and 1.3 steals. During that span, the team captain led the Johnnies to a second consecutive BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament Championship. Rick Pitino's Red Storm became the first program in BIG EAST history to win back-to-back outright regular season crowns and the tournament championship.
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An Associated Press and U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-American Honorable Mention, Ejiofor has racked up a plethora of accolades this season. The senior became the first player in league history to win BIG EAST Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Dave Gavitt Trophy as the BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player in the same season.
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Ejiofor and the Red Storm will kick-off the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS when it meets 12th-seeded Northern Iowa.
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Ejiofor was one of 10 semifinalists named for each award, which will be presented during the NCAA Tournament Final Four in Indianapolis. The senior was one of four players to be named to both lists along with Michigan's Yaxel Landeborg, Arizona's Jaden Bradley, and Cameron Boozer of Duke.
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The Garland, Texas native has done it all for the Johnnies during his final campaign in Queens. The big man paces the team and ranks top-10 in the league in scoring (16.3 PPG), rebounding (7.1 RPG), assists (3.5 APG), blocks (2.1 BPG) and field goal percentage (55.6%). Â
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Over the team's current six-game winning streak heading into the Big Dance, Ejiofor has averaged 19.8 points on 67.1 percent shooting from the floor, 4.2 assists, 3.3 blocks and 1.3 steals. During that span, the team captain led the Johnnies to a second consecutive BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament Championship. Rick Pitino's Red Storm became the first program in BIG EAST history to win back-to-back outright regular season crowns and the tournament championship.
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An Associated Press and U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-American Honorable Mention, Ejiofor has racked up a plethora of accolades this season. The senior became the first player in league history to win BIG EAST Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Dave Gavitt Trophy as the BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player in the same season.
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Ejiofor and the Red Storm will kick-off the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS when it meets 12th-seeded Northern Iowa.
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Players Mentioned
Forward
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