St. John's University Athletics
Zuby Ejiofor Named 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Male Athlete of the Year
5/12/2026 2:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Ejiofor was selected from over 900 nominees for prestigious honor
FAIRFAX, Va.– St. John's men's basketball player Zuby Ejiofor earned yet another recognition for his athletic and academic accomplishments, as he was named the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholar Male Athlete of the Year by the EDU Ledger on Tuesday.
Alongside Female Athlete of the Year Alice Yu of Johns Hopkins Volleyball, Ejiofor was chosen from a group of more than 900 nominees. The award is presented to a minority student-athlete best exemplifying athletic accomplishment, scholarship and humanitarianism. In order to qualify, students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher, be a sophomore in academic standing and participate in community service.
Ejiofor joins an exclusive group of past winners including Russell Wilson (2011), Marshall Faulk (2003) and Simone Manuel (2017). The Garland, Texas, native becomes the first student-athlete from St. John's University to be named athlete of the year.
Additionally, Ejiofor was tabbed the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar for men's basketball. The two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American will graduate this weekend with a bachelor's degree in sports management, which he completed with a 3.70 GPA.
During his final collegiate season, Ejiofor averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 blocks per game in 37 starts. The 6-foot-9 forward went for 11 20-plus point performances, eight double-doubles and became the fourth known St. John's player to log a triple-double in a win over Villanova on Feb. 28. He ended his St. John's career tied for fifth all-time in career blocks (165) and delivered back-to-back eight rejection performances.
The big man became the first player to unanimously win the BIG EAST Player of the Year award since Creighton's Doug McDermott in 2014 and the first to be named the league's player of the year and defensive player of the year since Josh Hart in 2017. An exemplary student, Ejiofor was named the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was an active community service participant during his time in Queens.
Ejiofor is joined by two teammates, Sadiku Ibine Ayo and Lefteris Liotopoulos, as 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholars.
Alongside Female Athlete of the Year Alice Yu of Johns Hopkins Volleyball, Ejiofor was chosen from a group of more than 900 nominees. The award is presented to a minority student-athlete best exemplifying athletic accomplishment, scholarship and humanitarianism. In order to qualify, students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher, be a sophomore in academic standing and participate in community service.
Ejiofor joins an exclusive group of past winners including Russell Wilson (2011), Marshall Faulk (2003) and Simone Manuel (2017). The Garland, Texas, native becomes the first student-athlete from St. John's University to be named athlete of the year.
Additionally, Ejiofor was tabbed the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar for men's basketball. The two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American will graduate this weekend with a bachelor's degree in sports management, which he completed with a 3.70 GPA.
During his final collegiate season, Ejiofor averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 blocks per game in 37 starts. The 6-foot-9 forward went for 11 20-plus point performances, eight double-doubles and became the fourth known St. John's player to log a triple-double in a win over Villanova on Feb. 28. He ended his St. John's career tied for fifth all-time in career blocks (165) and delivered back-to-back eight rejection performances.
The big man became the first player to unanimously win the BIG EAST Player of the Year award since Creighton's Doug McDermott in 2014 and the first to be named the league's player of the year and defensive player of the year since Josh Hart in 2017. An exemplary student, Ejiofor was named the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was an active community service participant during his time in Queens.
Ejiofor is joined by two teammates, Sadiku Ibine Ayo and Lefteris Liotopoulos, as 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholars.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
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