Adversity struck No. 15 St. John’s center Zuby Ejiofor in a much-anticipated Big East rematch at No. 6 UConn. The senior big man’s presence disappeared against the Huskies, scoring just six points in a crushing loss.
But the Big East preseason Player of the Year didn’t let this rough stretch continue for much longer. Against Villanova at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Ejiofor was the driving force in a statement 89-57 victory.
“I became a man in this program,” Ejiofor said. “Coach [Rick] Pitino has been guiding me through this process, not just basketball — life in general. I’m blessed to put on this jersey, play at MSG in front of the best fans in the country.”
Ejiofor’s 16-point, 12-rebound, and 10-assist triple-double fueled the Red Storm throughout the entire contest. His three blocks stopped the Wildcats from getting much going offensively.
They scored just 23 in the first half, with their longest scoring run being seven points in the second half. But Ejiofor put an end to this, allowing his team to outscore their rivals 41-34 that half.
“I get along great with every player who works hard. I don’t get along with players who don’t work hard. When you put my jersey on, you’re here to learn and bring it every single day. That’s Zuby,” St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino, who wore his iconic white suit, said during a postgame press conference.
Ian Jackson battled adversity when an ankle injury took him out of the starting lineup for the past two games. But that didn’t slow him down from finding his way to the basket for 19 points, five rebounds, and five steals.
His defensive improvement was on display in the first half when he turned a strip steal into a slam dunk. He stole the ball on the next possession before passing it to Ruben Prey for a dunk. This gave the Johnnies a 16-point advantage that snowballed into their largest win over Villanova.
“You saw great players do with a loss; they bring it and bring a great win. It’s pure class. This program, we have to remind ourselves where it was four years ago,” Pitino said. “You couldn’t find St. John’s with a search warrant.”
Pitino slotted Jackson into the shooting guard spot, allowing him to receive minutes alongside Ozyiah Sellers and Dylan Darling. Sellers contributed 14 points and two triples, as Darling scored seven and stole the ball twice. Darling’s defensive output led the Red Storm to force 16 turnovers.
“Darling is a pest. Everyone probably looks at him like he’s not a good player, but he really sets the tone for them,” Villanova head coach Kevin Willard, who formerly worked under Pitino, said.
Duke Brennan led the Wildcats with 12 points and eight rebounds, as Bryce Lindsay scored 10. This was far from the output they required to keep the contest competitive.
“You know we played UConn after their worst loss of the season and now this. God must be punishing me,” Willard joked.
St. John’s will host senior night in honor of Ejiofor and the five other players when they face Georgetown at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. This will be a full-circle moment for the big man, who spent three seasons under the guidance of Pitino.
“We need to get everyone behind the Georgetown game. Zuby deserves that. We need to really show up for that game; our seniors deserve that. Zuby deserves it the most,” Pitino concluded.
