St. John's University Athletics
Zuby Ejiofor Named Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Finalist
3/27/2026 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
St. John’s senior forward is one of four finalists for the honor, which will be presented at Final Four in Indianapolis
WASHINGTON - Zuby Ejiofor was named one of four finalists for the Naismith Trophy Defensive Player of the Year award presented by MOLECULE on Friday.
Ejiofor joins Florida's Rueben Chinyelu, Joseph Tugler of Houston and Kansas' Flory Bidunga as the players in consideration for the national award. The winner will be announced during Final Four weekend on Sunday, April 5 at an award ceremony in Indianapolis.
Ejiofor has been the linchpin of a Red Storm defensive unit that ranks 16th in the country in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. The big man anchors a unit that has allowed 90.2 points per 100 possessions over the last 10 contests, which ranks second in NCAA Division I. The Garland, Texas native won the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year award and is a finalist for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year.
A versatile defender that can lockdown all five spots on the floor, Ejiofor is active on the glass logging 7.3 rebounds per game, good for seventh in the BIG EAST. The senior forward has grabbed double-digit boards in nine contests this season, including a career-high 15 against Providence on Jan. 3. Ejiofor has also pulled down 9.7 caroms over his last three contests, dating back to the BIG EAST Tournament Championship victory over UConn on March 14.
Ejiofor has also emerged as one of the nation's most prolific shot-blockers. He ranks second in the BIG EAST and 18th in NCAA Division I logging 2.2 blocks per game. In December, the big man registered eight blocks, which ranks fourth-most in program history, in back-to-back games against Ole Miss (Dec. 6) and Iona (Dec 13). The USBWA and AP All-American Honorable Mention set the BIG EAST Tournament Championship game and St. John's conference tournament record with seven swats in the win over the Huskies at MSG. Ejiofor is tied for fourth all-time in program history with 164 blocks over three seasons, knotted with Wayne McKoy (1977-81).
An all-around player, Ejiofor ranks third on the team in steals averaging 1.2 per game. He recorded a career-best four swipes at Creighton on Jan. 10.
Ejiofor and the Johnnies will take the hardwood in a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 contest for the first time since 1999 when it meets top-seeded Duke at Capital One Arena at 7:10 p.m. on CBS.
Ejiofor joins Florida's Rueben Chinyelu, Joseph Tugler of Houston and Kansas' Flory Bidunga as the players in consideration for the national award. The winner will be announced during Final Four weekend on Sunday, April 5 at an award ceremony in Indianapolis.
Ejiofor has been the linchpin of a Red Storm defensive unit that ranks 16th in the country in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. The big man anchors a unit that has allowed 90.2 points per 100 possessions over the last 10 contests, which ranks second in NCAA Division I. The Garland, Texas native won the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year award and is a finalist for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year.
A versatile defender that can lockdown all five spots on the floor, Ejiofor is active on the glass logging 7.3 rebounds per game, good for seventh in the BIG EAST. The senior forward has grabbed double-digit boards in nine contests this season, including a career-high 15 against Providence on Jan. 3. Ejiofor has also pulled down 9.7 caroms over his last three contests, dating back to the BIG EAST Tournament Championship victory over UConn on March 14.
Ejiofor has also emerged as one of the nation's most prolific shot-blockers. He ranks second in the BIG EAST and 18th in NCAA Division I logging 2.2 blocks per game. In December, the big man registered eight blocks, which ranks fourth-most in program history, in back-to-back games against Ole Miss (Dec. 6) and Iona (Dec 13). The USBWA and AP All-American Honorable Mention set the BIG EAST Tournament Championship game and St. John's conference tournament record with seven swats in the win over the Huskies at MSG. Ejiofor is tied for fourth all-time in program history with 164 blocks over three seasons, knotted with Wayne McKoy (1977-81).
An all-around player, Ejiofor ranks third on the team in steals averaging 1.2 per game. He recorded a career-best four swipes at Creighton on Jan. 10.
Ejiofor and the Johnnies will take the hardwood in a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 contest for the first time since 1999 when it meets top-seeded Duke at Capital One Arena at 7:10 p.m. on CBS.
Players Mentioned
Forward
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