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College basketball transfer portal: Ex-Kansas forward Zuby Ejiofor explains commitment to St. John's – 247Sports
The rebuilding process within the St. John’s basketball program continues to move quickly as head coach Rick Pitino welcomed another newcomer Monday in former Kansas forward Zuby Ejiofor. The sophomore big man, a four-star transfer and the No. 12-ranked power forward in the college basketball transfer portal, joins the Red Storm as a sophomore and figures to slot into the rotation right away.
Ejiofor, a Garland (Texas) High School product and the 47th-best player in the 2022 recruiting class, opened up about his decision to join Pitino at St. John’s in an interview with the New York Post shortly his commitment.
“Everything just felt right,” Ejiofor said. “The whole coaching staff saw potential in me. I liked everything I heard, and I thought St. John’s would be a perfect fit having the opportunity to play on a big stage. [Sunday] night me and my family had a talk. We just felt Coach Pitino can get me to that next level.”
Eric Bossi, 247Sports’ national basketball director who reported on the transfer commitment Monday, pointed out that Ejiofor “is a player with significant potential. He is an athletic finisher around the rim, runs the floor well and is a productive rebounder during the minutes that he is on the floor.”
Ejiofor dealt with injuries during his debut season at the collegiate level and was a modest contributor across his 25 appearances at Kansas. He averaged 1.2 points and 1.7 rebounds per game for the Jayhawks, though his 65.0% shooting mark suggests better days are ahead once his role increases.
The 6-foot-9 forward developed under Kansas head coach Bill Self for one year and will continue his progression under the tutelage of another one of college basketball’s most famed coaches in Pitino.
“I’ve seen the amount of high-level guys he’s trained over the years, the guys he’s taken to the pros,” Ejiofor said of Pitino. “One of the things I like about him is he’s stayed in contact with a lot of them, not only on the court but off the court as well. I know he’s one of the greatest coaches out there. I wanted to have the opportunity to be coached by him and see how good I can possibly be.”
While he spent most of his playing time on the interior for Kansas, Ejiofor could extend his range at St. John’s and display his ability closer to and on the perimeter.
“The 3-point shot, the midrange, is something I’ve been working my entire life,” he said. “I showed it here in a little workout session, and they liked what they saw.”
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Ejiofor is the Red Storm’s fourth-highest rated transfer newcomer. Former Penn guard Jordan Dingle, the reigning No. 2 scorer in the country, highlights a group that also features four-star transfers Nahiem Alleyne (guard, UConn), RJ Luis (guard, UMass), Daniss Jenkins (guard, Iona) and Glenn Taylor Jr. (forward, Oregon State).
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