Zuby Ejiofor is the heart and soul of the St. John’s basketball team, and he proved why he was a great selection to be the captain of the program amid the drama that surrounded RJ Luis at the end of the season.
Luis has been the at the center of the college basketball world after he was benched inside the final five minutes of the Red Storm’s loss to Arkansas in the Round of 32.
Rick Pitino said on Thursday night’s series finale of Pitino: Red Storm Rising on VICE TV that he would not have changed anything about his decision if given another opportunity, but Ejiofor tried to deflect the blame away from the Big East Player of the Year for the team’s misfortunes.
“I think he was just mature about the situation,” Ejiofor said in the episode.
“He took fault, which I don’t believe is his fault. I don’t believe it’s anybody’s fault. We lose as a team together.”
Luis had just nine points on 3-of-17 shooting. The Johnnies connected on only 28.0-percent of its shots and 2-of-22 from 3-point range.
“If we hit out shots in the game, we win the game. The dream season has finally come to an end. It was tough.”
There was a point in the second half when Ejiofor grabbed RJ Luis and put both of his arms on his biceps while shaking him, trying to get him to focus and be the player that he was throughout the entire season for the Red Storm.
“That was just his way of trying to snap me out of whatever I had going on that day,” Luis explained.
Ejiofor was the only player for the Johnnies to make a major positive impact, finishing with 23 points and 12 rebounds yet still laments a missed opportunity late in the second half.
With the Red Storm trailing by two, 66-64, and 3:30 remaining, he got the ball on the block and worked his way to the basket. On his shot attempt he was hit in the hard by Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile, but it wasn’t called. Ejiofor missed the layup, and the Razorbacks would score on its next possession.
St. John’s tried to go back to Ejiofor on the ensuing trip down the floor, but its post entry pass was stolen, leading to a transition layup.
“We were right there,” the Red Storm junior said. “I had a chance to tie the game and that was a big play. I wish I could’ve converted on the layup, but I didn’t. It’s just tough.”
“There’s a lot of things that I could’ve done better, and I wish I did.”
Zuby Ejiofor will get another chance at an NCAA Tournament run with St. John’s next season as he will be returning to Queens for his senior season, but RJ Luis will not.
The junior declared for the NBA Draft with the intentions of going pro but also entered his name into the transfer portal. If he opts to return to college for his senior season, it will not be with the Red Storm.
St. John’s already landed a tag team partner for Ejiofor with Providence forward Bryce Hopkins and will remain active while completing the rest of its roster this offseason but the hole that was left at the end of the season remains for many of the Johnnies faithful.