Former KU forward Zuby Ejiofor comes up big in St. John’s win over Jayhawks
Zuby Ejiofor and his mentor pulled out of the McCarthy Hall parking lot on Kansas’ campus on May 6, 2023, shortly after the KU freshman forward announced he’d be entering the transfer portal after one season at KU.
Ejiofor, who has blossomed into a major talent at St. John’s — he’s the 2026 Big East player of the year — was in no mood for small talk on the long drive to the 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward’s hometown of Garland, Texas.
“He didn’t want to leave. I had to pack up all his stuff for him. I emptied his room, put his things in a U-Haul all by myself. He didn’t even take a shoe out and, you know, he cried the whole drive home from Kansas — from Kansas to Dallas,” Ejiofor’s mentor, Andy Philachack, told The Star before Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Round of 32 game between the Jayhawks and Red Storm.
For sure, Ejiofor, who said he loved KU but entered the transfer portal after one season because of playing time issues, was not sobbing Sunday night. He was instead smiling and rejoicing after scoring 18 points on 6-of-14 shooing (0-4 from 3 and 6-of-8 from the line) and grabbing nine rebounds with four assists in No. 5 seed St. John’s 67-65 victory over No. 4 KU at Viejas Arena on San Diego State’s campus.
Ejiofor also guarded KU soph big man Flory Bidunga, who scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds with three blocks in 31 minutes.
“It was truly a special moment,” Ejiofor said in the winning locker room. He was referring to junior teammate Dylan Darling hitting a buzzer-beating layup and the Red Storm players piling on Darling at the end of the court.
“I was excited. Guys had already jumped on him. I wanted to give him as much space as possible. I wanted to give him as much room as possible,” Ejiofor added.
Of Darling, who hit 1 of 5 shots (0-4 from 3) with four assists and no turnovers in 18 minutes, Ejiofor said: “He made some big-time moves. He is a competitive player. Nothing is ever going to get to him. He made a big-time play.”
Of his own effort in 34 minutes, Ejiofor said: “I just wanted to do whatever it takes to win games at a high level. I was able to make some big-time plays, but it wasn’t about me. It was about our team.”
Ejiofor did not specify how big a deal it was for him to defeat KU, his first college stop. He was looking at his current situation. St. John’s is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
“I just wanted to get Flory away from the paint as much as I could,” Ejiofor said.
Of making the Sweet 16 after losing in the first round a year ago, Ejiofor said: “It means a lot to me. It’s my last year in college. I’ve not been there yet. I know Johnnies Nation is proud of us. We’re going back to the East Coast now (to play Duke in Washington, D.C.). I’m excited for the fans. It’ll be easier for them to get to the games.
“We had fun here, sunlight, great weather and we won two games. We felt the love from the fans here and the ones back home. They helped us a lot,” Ejiofor said.
