Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell Garner All-BIG EAST Honors

3/8/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Ejiofor tabbed unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection; Hopkins named to Second Team and Mitchell to Third Team

QUEENS, N.Y. - Zuby Ejiofor (First Team), Bryce Hopkins (Second Team) and Dillon Mitchell (Third Team) earned All-BIG EAST honors the conference office announced on Sunday after leading the St. John's men's basketball team to its second straight outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship.

Additionally, Ejiofor and Mitchell were named to the All-BIG EAST Defensive Team, unveiled for the first time ever this season. The frontcourt duo played an integral role in the Red Storm's 15^th ranked efficient defense according to KenPom.

The Johnnies had three players earn All-BIG EAST honors for the second straight year. Prior to last season, three Red Storm players had not been selected to the all-league teams since 1999-2000.

After leading the Red Storm, Ejiofor was the lone unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team, as voted on by the league's coaches. A 2025 All-BIG EAST First Team honoree, Ejiofor becomes the eighth player in program history to be named to the league's top team multiple times.

The 2025 BIG EAST Most Improved Player returned to Queens for his final campaign as a known commodity and undoubted leader of the team. Once again, Ejiofor answered the bell powering the Johnnies to back-to-back regular season crowns for the first time since 1984-85 & 1985-86.

Ejiofor leads the team averaging 16.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game. He is the only player in high-major basketball to rank top-10 in his respective conference and lead his team in all four of those statistical categories.

The Garland, Texas native racked up plenty of conference weekly awards throughout his senior campaign. Ejiofor was a three-time BIG EAST Player of the Week and five-time honor roll recipient. Additionally, Ejiofor was tabbed to the Naismith Player and Defensive Player of the Year Late-Season Team and landed on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Top-10 list.

On Feb. 28, Ejiofor cemented his name in the record books delivering a memorable triple-double performance for the ages at Madison Square Garden. The veteran big man totaled 16 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists in an 89-57 rout of Villanova for the fourth triple double in program history since 1993. He is one of just two BIG EAST players and 25 in NCAA Division I to log a triple-double this season.

A proven scorer, Ejiofor ranks sixth in the BIG EAST averaging 16.0 points per game on 54.6% shooting. He has tallied 25 double-digit scoring efforts, nine 20-plus point performances and matched a career-high 33 points against Providence on Jan. 3. The team captain ranks top-40 nationally in made free throws (163) and free throw attempts (231).

Ejiofor further cemented his named in the St. John's history books as he ranks eighth in career blocks (147), the fourth player to record eight blocks in a game, second in single-game free throw attempts (23) and sixth in career field goal percentage (52.2%).

Hopkins returns to the All-BIG EAST Team as a second team honoree. The graduate student was an all-conference first team selection back in 2022-23, while at Providence. After playing 17 games over the last two seasons due to injury, the wing returned to form since arriving in Queens playing an integral role in the Johnnies' success.

The Oak Park Ill., native averaged 13.3 points on 44.1% shooting, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game in 31 starts during the regular season. Hopkins ranks top-15 in the BIG EAST in scoring and rebounding.

Hopkins provided a boost for the Johnnies logging 19 double-figure scoring outings, eclipsing 20 points in four contests and posting back-to-back double-doubles. On the glass, Hopkins ranks 10^th in the BIG EAST in rebounding averaging 6.0 boards per contest and reached double-digit caroms in four games this season.

The Red Storm has gotten to the charity stripe with ease this season as Hopkins has played a pivotal role in staggering free throw numbers. The graduate student ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in made free throws (115) shooting at a 72.3% clip from the free throw line.

Hopkins was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Feb. 23 after posting back-to-back double-doubles and earned a BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll nod on Nov. 24.

A true difference maker with his unrelenting work ethic and supreme athleticism, Mitchell earns all-conference honors for the first time in his career. The dynamic forward was tabbed to the All-BIG EAST Third Team and All-BIG EAST Defensive Team.

After arriving in Queens from Cincinnati, the Tampa native averaged 8.1 points on 54.1% shooting, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. In his 19 starts, the Red Storm holds a 17-2 record and the Johnnies have won 16 of their last 17 contests since he re-entered the starting five on Jan. 6.

Mitchell ranks 21^st in NCAA Division I in assist-to-turnover ratio at an impressive clip of 3.2-to-1 and has dished out career-high seven assists twice this season, most recently on Friday at Seton Hall as the Red Storm clinched the BIG EAST Regular Season title.

Additionally, Mitchell ranks top-10 in the BIG EAST in rebounds per game (6.9), offensive rebounds per game (2.5) and double-doubles. He is tied for 14^th amongst active career leaders in NCAA Division I with 858 total rebounds.

The top-seeded Red Storm will open the 2026 BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, March 12 at 12 p.m. against the winner of eighth-seeded Butler and ninth-seeded Providence on Peacock.
2025-26 BIG EAST All-Conference Teams

All-BIG EAST First Team
Michael Ajayi, Butler
Silas Demary Jr., UConn
Alex Karaban, UConn
Tarris Reed Jr., UConn
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's *
Tre Carroll, Xavier

All-BIG EAST Second Team
Solo Ball, UConn
Jaylin Sellers, Providence
Bryce Hopkins, St. John's
Budd Clark, Seton Hall
Acaden Lewis, Villanova

All-BIG EAST Third Team
Finley Bizjack, Butler
KJ Lewis, Georgetown
Nigel James Jr., Marquette
Dillon Mitchell, St. John's
Duke Brennan, Villanova
Tyler Perkins, Villanova

All-Freshman Team
Braylon Mullins, UConn *
Nigel James Jr., Marquette *
Jamier Jones, Providence
Stefan Vaaks, Providence *
Acaden Lewis, Villanova *

All-Defensive Team
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's *
Budd Clark, Seton Hall
Dillon Mitchell, St. John's
Silas Demary Jr., UConn
Chase Ross, Marquette

*Unanimous Selection