KU basketball game prediction: Can Jayhawks contain Zuby Ejiofor & St. John’s?
The Kansas Jayhawks continue their run in the NCAA Tournament against St. John’s on Sunday night in San Diego.
No. 4-seeded KU (24-10) beat 13-seed Cal Baptist on Friday, while No. 5 St. John’s beat 12-seed Northern Iowa.
Here is more about Sunday’s game, including a scouting report and prediction:
Kansas basketball vs. St. John’s: Game details
When: 4:15 p.m. Central on Sunday
Where: Viejas Arena, San Diego
TV/streaming: CBS
Opponent’s record: 29-6
KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) ranking: 15
Betting line: St. John’s by 3.5.
All statistics are from KenPom.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats include only Division-I competition.
St. John’s team strengths
- Crashing the glass: The Red Storm rank No. 28 in offensive rebounding percentage (35.9).
- Nothing easy inside: Opponents are shooting just 47.4% on 2-pointers vs. St. John’s, which ranks No. 36 in the nation.
- Great defense: The Red Storm rank No. 11 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency (93.9), which measures the number of points allowed per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponent.
St. John’s team weaknesses
- Scoring concerns: St. John’s ranks No. 189 in effective field goal percentage (51.1%).
- Shooting struggles: The Red Storm rank No. 212 in 3-point percentage (33.3%).
- Nothing easy at the line: St. John’s ranks No. 180 in free-throw percentage (72.6%).
St. John’s Name to Know
6-foot-9 senior forward Zuby Ejiofor (No. 1)
+ Good scorer (16.3 points per game)
+ Solid rebounder (7.3 per game)
+ Pest on defense (1.2 steal per game)
+ Solid facilitator (3.5 assists per game)
+ Elite rim protector (2.2 blocks per game)
- OK at the line (shooting 71.7% on free throws)
- OK shooter (32.8% on 3-pointers on 1.4 attempts per game)
- Turnover prone (2.2 per game)
Kansas-St. John’s game prediction
This is an interesting game for multiple reasons.
First is the matchup between two legendary coaches in KU’s Bill Self and the Red Storm’s Rick Pitino. On top of that, St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor transferred there from Kansas three seasons back.
Like KU, St. John’s is a defense-oriented team that has struggled on offense at different times.
It’s hard to predict what will happen, but there are certainly a few keys for KU in this one:
- Big men Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller must contain Ejiofor and keep him off the boards, while also providing KU with easy buckets.
- Darryn Peterson needs to have a high-scoring game — and be efficient.
- One of Tre White and Melvin Council need to hit some shots. White is 2-of-13 on 3-pointers and Council is 1-for-10 in the postseason.
I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that the Jayhawks win. But KU’s offense has fallen off in recent weeks. The Jayhawks were 3-4 in their last seven games leading into the NCAA Tournament — and then nearly blew a 26-point lead after the offense completely tailed off.
Meanwhile, St. John’s is red-hot. The Red Storm have won their last seven games and don’t appear to be slowing down.
For those reasons, it’s hard to count on KU at the moment.
Prediction: St. John’s 75, Kansas 69
Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: St. John’s (-3.5)
Shreyas’ season record: 27-7
Shreyas’ record against the spread: 21-13
Player to Watch: Flory Bidunga
This might be one of the toughest matchups all season for KU sophomore Flory Bidunga. Not only will he need to contain the more physical Ejiofor, but Bidunga needs to provide KU with easy offense in the post.
In his last two games, Bidunga has failed to break double-digit points. He will need to do that and limit Ejiofor for KU to pull off the (betting line) upset.
This story was originally published March 21, 2026 at 6:10 PM.
