Zuby Ejiofor gets his first two Big East honors ahead of potentially huge week for St. John’s star

Sunday could mark the start of a huge week of honors and awards for Zuby Ejiofor.

The St. John’s star forward was the lone unanimous selection to both the Big East first team and inaugural Big East defensive team, as voted on by the league’s coaches.

Ejiofor could become the first Johnnie to win the Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. Only seven players have won both honors before. The most recent one was Villanova’s Josh Hart in 2017.

The top defender will be announced on Monday followed by the Player of the Year on Wednesday ahead of the start to the Big East Tournament.

Two other Johnnies were honored. Bryce Hopkins was selected to the second team and Dillon Mitchell made the third team and the defensive team. Mitchell was a major key to St. John’s winning the Big East regular season title outright for the second straight season. Rick Pitino’s team won 16 of its last 17 games after Pitino inserted the versatile 6-foot-8 Mitchell into the starting lineup.

Ejiofor was joined on the Big East first team by Connecticut trio Tarris Reed Jr., Silas Demary Jr. and Alex Karaban, Butler forward Michael Ajayi and Xavier’s Tre Carroll.

The second team selections were Hopkins, Seton Hall point guard Budd Clark, Providence guard and Big East leading scorer Jaylin Sellers, Villanova’s Acaden Lewis and Connecticut’s Solo Ball.

The third team picks were Mitchell, Butler’s Finley Bizjack, Marquette’s Nigel James Jr., Georgetown’s KJ Lewis and Villanova duo Tyler Perkins and Duke Brennan.

Mitchell and Ejiofor led the defensive team selections. The Red Storm tandem were joined by Seton Hall’s Clark, Demary of Connecticut and Marquette guard Chase Ross. The freshmen team picks featured unanimous selections James of Marquette, Lewis of Villanova, Braylon Mullins of Connecticut and Stefan Vaaks of Providence. Fellow Friar Jamier Jones was the final pick.