Replacing Zuby Ejiofor will not be easy for the St. John’s basketball team. In fact, it’s a near impossible challenge but Rick Pitino is hopeful that his junior returning, Ruben Prey, can help fill the role.
Pitino said on Monday that Prey deserved the right to enter the summer as the team’s starting center, but things can change depending on how other players perform during workouts in the summer.
“I don’t think he’s going to be Zuby Ejiofor, but I think he’s going to be an outstanding basketball player who has paid his dues,” the St. John’s head coach explained. “
“He’s improved his jump shot immensely. He’s improved his outside game. He came here petrified and now he’s very comfortable.”
The 6-foot-11 native of Portugal averaged 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, but he’s played in 70 games over his two seasons at St. John’s. It was highlighted by a 12-point showing against Duke in the Sweet 16 in which he went 4-for-4 on 3-pointers.
His frontcourt teammates from last season also see him ready to step into the spotlight for the Johnnies.
“Ruben is super talented,” Bryce Hopkins told Storm The Paint last week in Chicago at the NBA Draft Combine.
“He’s probably one of the most talented guys we had on the roster last year. Obviously, Zuby was there so he didn’t get a lot of time to showcase what he could do but when he did come in, he always gave us a lift just with his motor he plays with.”
Prey saw his minutes increase from 7.7 per game as a freshman to 10.7 as a sophomore, backing up Ejiofor in both seasons.
“In the Big East, I think he’ll be one of the top centers, or whatever position he would be,” Dillon Mitchell said. “Ruben is versatile…I loved playing with Ruben, and I definitely see him having success no matter if he’s at [center] or if they can get a big man and they put him at [power forward].”
“He really does buy into Coach P. He buys into the culture, he buys into what the coaches ask him to do, and he played so hard. I’ve never seen Ruben down on himself, even if he’s having a bad game, I’ve never seen him down. That’s one thing I respect about Ruben, and he’ll have a lot of success this year.”
St. John’s has built a frontcourt with inexperience behind Prey, landing high school recruit Theo Edema and 7-foot Serbian native Lazar Stojkovic. However, Pitino thinks Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman or international prospect Babacar Sane could also play center if needed.
“Everybody has seen the big jump that Ruben had this past season and I, for one, am proud of him,” Zuby Ejiofor added. “He’s put in the work, and I feel like he’s definitely more than capable of filling in the [starting center] role.”
St. John’s has dominated in the frontcourt over the last two seasons and it’s hoping that Ruben Prey can continue its strong paint presence for the upcoming season.
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