St. John's University Athletics
PREGAME QUOTES: BIG EAST AWARDS CREMONY
St. John’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Rick Pitino and Senior forward Zuby Ejiofor spoke with the media after the BIG EAST Postseason Awards Ceremony at Madison Square Garden
Head Coach Rick Pitino
On the relationship between himself and Zuby Ejiofor…
“I am proud of him for his accomplishments with sweeping those awards. I'm more proud of him the way he's emerged as a person. He came [to St. John’s] very introverted, very shy and he's leaving very extroverted, very gregarious in his personality and the way he conducts himself publicly with his teammates in timeout huddles. I've never had a player in every timeout when I'm done speaking take over the huddle. Never. Any level and he's done that.”
On his first impressions of RJ Luis and Zuby Ejiofor with their development…
“I didn't really think of it that RJ [Luis] or Zuby [Ejiofor] would be Player of the Year in the BIG EAST Conference, but we're extremely proud of both guys reaching that pinnacle. Now our job is to find somebody to do it next year. It's not easy to get someone to stay three years in today's world, so I'll just treasure the fact that I had Zuby for three years. I'm hoping that some of the guys like Joson [Sanon] and Ian [Jackson] and Dylan Darling and Ruben [Prey]. I'm hoping Ruben now can develop into a Zuby-type player.”
On when he realized how special of a player Zuby Ejiofor is…
“Probably last year. Again, when you come in shy and introverted and you leave extroverted and a great leader, a selfless leader, that thinks of everybody ahead of himself. In this day and age, you don't see a lot of that.”
On the excitement of playing at MSG during the BIG EAST Tournament…
“Every time I step onto that floor of Madison Square Garden, I'm emotional, excited, honored. I am totally enthralled with the BIG EAST Tournament. I was at Louisville where we went back-to-back, and now we're trying to get back-to-back once again.”
Senior forward Zuby Ejiofor
On winning BIG EAST Player of the Year after his teammate RJ Luis Jr. won it last season…
“It means a lot because I was in this exact room last year, so it's truly special just seeing everything that he had to go through to get the accolades and the recognition. It's never easy with the championships and the Player of the Year, but I think that's a big testament to Coach Pitino and everything that he stands for and everything that he's been building in the past, two, three years that he's been here.”
On what it took to earn his awards this season…
“I mean, it took everything. It took battling through adversity, and it was never easy. It was never the easiest road to success. I just want to thank God because I feel like he put me in so many situations where I had to challenge myself and it was never easy. I was able to do anything possible that I put my mind to.”
On his improvement as a player…
“It’s all the work behind closed doors, [the] nights by yourself, just getting up shots, thousands of shots and that's just who I am. I love the game of basketball, and I put in so much work for the past three years. Just seeing my transition from my sophomore year, a scared little kid in the bright lights of MSG and just trusting the work that Coach Pitino has done.”
On the importance of education and what his mother taught him about being a student-athlete…
“It’s really important. My mom emphasized it enough. She can't emphasize it enough, actually, being a student first above anything else, because this game is not going to be around forever. So, you know, when you have an opportunity to go and have a great education. You seize advantage of that moment, learn as much as possible, and just approach each and every day with a great mindset.”
On the relationship between himself and Zuby Ejiofor…
“I am proud of him for his accomplishments with sweeping those awards. I'm more proud of him the way he's emerged as a person. He came [to St. John’s] very introverted, very shy and he's leaving very extroverted, very gregarious in his personality and the way he conducts himself publicly with his teammates in timeout huddles. I've never had a player in every timeout when I'm done speaking take over the huddle. Never. Any level and he's done that.”
On his first impressions of RJ Luis and Zuby Ejiofor with their development…
“I didn't really think of it that RJ [Luis] or Zuby [Ejiofor] would be Player of the Year in the BIG EAST Conference, but we're extremely proud of both guys reaching that pinnacle. Now our job is to find somebody to do it next year. It's not easy to get someone to stay three years in today's world, so I'll just treasure the fact that I had Zuby for three years. I'm hoping that some of the guys like Joson [Sanon] and Ian [Jackson] and Dylan Darling and Ruben [Prey]. I'm hoping Ruben now can develop into a Zuby-type player.”
On when he realized how special of a player Zuby Ejiofor is…
“Probably last year. Again, when you come in shy and introverted and you leave extroverted and a great leader, a selfless leader, that thinks of everybody ahead of himself. In this day and age, you don't see a lot of that.”
On the excitement of playing at MSG during the BIG EAST Tournament…
“Every time I step onto that floor of Madison Square Garden, I'm emotional, excited, honored. I am totally enthralled with the BIG EAST Tournament. I was at Louisville where we went back-to-back, and now we're trying to get back-to-back once again.”
Senior forward Zuby Ejiofor
On winning BIG EAST Player of the Year after his teammate RJ Luis Jr. won it last season…
“It means a lot because I was in this exact room last year, so it's truly special just seeing everything that he had to go through to get the accolades and the recognition. It's never easy with the championships and the Player of the Year, but I think that's a big testament to Coach Pitino and everything that he stands for and everything that he's been building in the past, two, three years that he's been here.”
On what it took to earn his awards this season…
“I mean, it took everything. It took battling through adversity, and it was never easy. It was never the easiest road to success. I just want to thank God because I feel like he put me in so many situations where I had to challenge myself and it was never easy. I was able to do anything possible that I put my mind to.”
On his improvement as a player…
“It’s all the work behind closed doors, [the] nights by yourself, just getting up shots, thousands of shots and that's just who I am. I love the game of basketball, and I put in so much work for the past three years. Just seeing my transition from my sophomore year, a scared little kid in the bright lights of MSG and just trusting the work that Coach Pitino has done.”
On the importance of education and what his mother taught him about being a student-athlete…
“It’s really important. My mom emphasized it enough. She can't emphasize it enough, actually, being a student first above anything else, because this game is not going to be around forever. So, you know, when you have an opportunity to go and have a great education. You seize advantage of that moment, learn as much as possible, and just approach each and every day with a great mindset.”