Rick Pitino was emotional upon seeing his star player Zuby Ejiofor's senior ceremony ahead of the No. 18 St. John's Red Storm's matchup against the Georgetown Hoyas on Tuesday night.
Ejiofor has been with the Red Storm for most of his collegiate career, joining the program in 2023 after his freshman year with the Kansas Jayhawks. He made his way up the ranks until he finally became one of Pitino's standout stars, elevating St. John's to serious contention for the NCAA Tournament.
Pitino mentioned on Feb. 28 how much he wanted the fanbase to pack the arena ahead of their home finale against Georgetown.
“We need to get everybody behind the Georgetown game, get the place packed, because Zuby [Ejiofor] deserves that,” Pitino said after Saturday’s 89-57 win over Villanova, “He has given so much to this program, every single day he has gotten better and we really need to show up for that game because our seniors deserve it, but most importantly Zuby deserves it.”
The special day came for Ejiofor and the rest of the Red Storm's seniors as Pitino and the fans paid tribute to their respective services. As for Ejiofor, Pitino was visibly emotional as he hugged his star player and family members.
“Rick Pitino in tears as he introduces Zuby Ejiofor ahead of the St. John’s superstar’s Senior Night. What college basketball is all about,” college basketball analyst John Fanta wrote.
“When you play at MSG for St. John's, you never say goodbye. You always say hello,” Pitino said at the end of his speech.
Rick Pitino in tears as he introduces Zuby Ejiofor ahead of the St. John’s superstar’s Senior Night. What college basketball is all about: pic.twitter.com/DpLNdRiFhp
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 3, 2026
How Rick Pitino, St. John's performed against Georgetown
It was a great night for Rick Pitino and No. 18 St. John's, seeing Zuby Ejiofor have a strong final performance at home with a 72-69 win over Georgetown.
Three players scored in double-digits for St. John's in the win, including Ejiofor. He led the team in scoring with 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks on 10-of-12 shooting from the field. Joson Sanon came next with 15 points and six rebounds, Dylan Darling had 12 points and four steals, while Bryce Hopkins provided nine points and six rebounds.
St. John's improved to a 24-6 overall record on the season, going 17-2 in its Big East matchups so far. They sit at second place in the conference standings, being above the Villanova Wildcats and the Seton Hall Pirates while trailing the UConn Huskies.
The No. 18 Red Storm will look forward to their regular-season finale. They compete with UConn for a share of the regular-season title, being on the road as they face Seton Hall on March 6 at 9 p.m. ET.
