St. John’s star Zuby Ejiofor named Big East Defensive Player of the Year – Hartford Courant

The accolades continue to come in for St. John’s star Zuby Ejiofor.

Ejiofor was named the 2025-26 Big East Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Red Storm to the conference’s outright regular-season championship.

The senior forward/center averages 2.0 blocks per game, ranking fourth among Big East players, and 7.1 rebounds per game, ranking seventh.

During conference play, Ejiofor averaged 1.8 blocks and 7.0 rebounds per game.

The bruising Ejiofor recorded at least three blocks in nine games in the regular season, including back-to-back eight-block performances in wins over Ole Miss and Iona in December.

Last month, Ejiofor was one pegged as one of 15 contenders for the national Naismith Defensive Player of the Year trophy.

Ejiofor is the fifth St. John’s player to win Big East Defensive Player of the Year, following Mark Jackson, Sir’Dominic Pointer, Justin Simon and Posh Alexander.

The Big East’s individual awards are voted on by the conference’s coaches, whose selections are not made public.

But last week, Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley said he planned to vote for Ejiofor for Defensive Player of the Year after the 6-9 big man totaled two blocks, two steals and seven rebounds in a 72-69 win over the Hoyas at Madison Square Garden.

“His energy, his toughness — I just enjoy watching him,” Cooley said.

Ejiofor, who also averages 16.0 points and 3.5 assists per game, is the favorite to win Big East Player of the Year, an award scheduled to be announced Wednesday.

He was the coaches’ preseason pick to win Big East Player of the Year.

Ejiofor was this year’s only unanimous selection for the All-Big East first team — his second consecutive year earning first-team honors. He was unanimously selected for the conference’s All-Defensive Team, too.

“He’s had a great, great run,” St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino said last week. “Great two years. Just so beloved by the fans.”

No St. John’s players joined Ejiofor on the All-Big East first team, but forward Bryce Hopkins was named to the second team and forward Dillon Mitchell made the third team.

Mitchell was also selected to the All-Defensive Team.

On Monday, Villanova’s Devin Askew won Big East Sixth Man of the Year, while teammate Tyler Perkins was named the conference’s Most Improved Player — an honor Ejiofor won last year.

Creighton’s Josh Dix won the conference’s Sportsmanship Award.

In addition to Player of the Year, the Big East is set to unveil its winners of Coach of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete on Wednesday.

Those announcements will precede the start of the Big East Tournament at the Garden later that afternoon.