SAN DIEGO – The big man of the moment here in Southern California goes by the name of “Zuby,” which is pronounced as “Zoobie” and is the nickname his mom gave him because it was easier to say than his real name – Chukwuebuka Ejiofor.
Get ready to hear it a lot on Sunday.
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Zuby Ejiofor, a 6-foot-9 forward, started his college career at Kansas in 2022, where he played for Hall of Fame coach Bill Self. Then he transferred to St. John’s in 2023 to play for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.
Three years later, Ejiofor, Pitino and No. 5 seed St. John’s face off against Self and No. 4 seed Kansas in a second-round men’s NCAA Tournament game at Viejas Arena.
“We didn’t want him to leave,” Self said Saturday. “We’re really happy for his success. We just don’t … We just hope it doesn’t come against us.”
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Unfortunately for Self, Ejiofor happens to be on a monster run right now. He is the reigning Big East Conference player of the year, reigning Big East defensive player of the year and the leader of his team in scoring (16.3 ppg), rebounding (7.3 rpg), assists (121) and blocks (77).
Now comes the peak of his college career against his old team. Just don’t call it a revenge game. It’s not.
St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor drives to the basket against Northern Iowa defenders Will Hornseth (13) and Ben Schwieger (7) in the first round of the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Viejas Arena in San Diego.
Why did Zuby Ejiofor transfer from Kansas to St. John’s?
Ejiofor (pronounced “edge-o-for”) sat in a chair Saturday surrounded by about 15 reporters and photographers at Viejas Arena. They wanted to know the story again: What happened at Kansas and why did he choose St. John’s?
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“I had a fun time at Kansas,” Ejiofor said. “I wouldn’t lie: I didn’t really want to leave. But I knew that in order for my future to keep progressing the way I wanted to go, that I had to probably look elsewhere for a bigger opportunity.”
Ejiofor played in 25 games for Kansas as a freshman, when he averaged only 5.1 minutes per game. The Jayhawks finished with a 28-8 record that season and lost in the second round of the tournament against Arkansas. Ejiofor played seven minutes in that game and tallied two rebounds, one block and no points.
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Then Kansas brought in a big transfer from Michigan in May 2023: 7-foot-1 Hunter Dickinson, who made the move in pursuit of more money for his name, image and likeness (NIL).
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One day later, Ejiofor announced he was transferring out. He simply wanted more playing time and didn’t see him getting much of it with Dickinson there.
So Ejiofor signed with St. John’s, where Pitino had just been hired and was remaking his roster with 10 transfer players out of a roster of 14, including Ejiofor.
“I don’t think I’ve enjoyed coaching a player as much since 1987 when I coached Billy Donovan (at Providence),” Pitino said of Ejiofor. “And I’m going to miss him terribly. And I’m just going to appreciate him while I have him.”
No hard feelings between Kansas and Zuby Ejiofor
Self recruited Ejiofor out of Garland, Texas, where he was a late bloomer of sorts. He didn’t start playing basketball until eighth grade. He has Nigerian-born parents and another set of basketball “parents” of sorts, including his “dad,” Andy Philachack, a 5-foot-4 coach who influenced his decision to leave Kansas.
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“Everybody embraced me my first year (at KU), so there’s no bad blood there,” Ejiofor said
Self confirmed the same.
“I love Zuby,” Self said.
And he’s not surprised by how well he’s done.
“Rick was obviously a great fit for him,” Self said. “I’ve enjoyed watching him grow, be a complete player, because when you talk about complete, you’re talking about a skill set, posting, drawing fouls, using both hands, passing, stretching it, blocking and altering. When you lead a team that good in four major categories, you know you’re a good player.”
Zuby Ejiofor considered other schools besides St. John’s
He took his first visit Villanova and considered Kentucky and Texas.
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Why St. John’s?
“New York is a great city,” Ejiofor told USA TODAY Sports. “I had never been to New York before I visited St. John’s. And then everything that Coach Pitino stood for.”
Pitino credited assistant coach Ricky Johns for finding him. He came in for a visit and worked out in front of Pitino.
“I worked him out for about an hour, put him through a really tough work out, and I thought he was a terrific athlete, but he never – I gave him an extra hard workout to see if he could hold up against it, and he never tired,” Pitino said. “He just worked his butt off, and I said to his ‘dad,’ `I’d really love to have him.’”
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Ejiofor since helped Pitino restore a dormant program in the heart of New York City. His photo recently even loomed large in Times Square in New York City.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a dream come true,” Ejiofor said. “I never dreamt of my picture ever being in Times Square. But man, it’s just crazy, you know, from where I came from and everything I had to go through.” Now comes his next big moment in the spotlight, this time against his old team at 5:15 p.m. ET on CBS. The winner advances to the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: St. John’s star Zuby Ejiofor left Kansas, now wants to beat them
