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St. John’s star big man Zuby Ejiofor takes a shot at a Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby:
Q: When Coach Pitino was recruiting you, what did you eat at Del Frisco’s?
A: I had a steak, with a side of fries. I can’t remember exactly what type of steak I had.
Q: Your first meal with him the night before was at Avra.
A: I think I had a steak as well. He had asked me what I love to eat and stuff, and I obviously recommended a steak.
Q: What was that first dinner like with Coach P?
A: It was amazing. Obviously everybody knows who Coach Pitino is, and what he’s meant for everybody around him. So to sit down with him for the first time, and my family was there as well so it wasn’t just me going through the whole experience of getting to chat with him and just kind of understand what I could bring to his program, it meant a lot.
Q: The next morning you had a terrific workout at Carnesecca Arena.
A: My Pops [mentor Andy Philachack], he wanted to ask Coach Pitino what I could bring to the program, and if I’m good enough to play for him. So Coach Pitino suggested to put me to the test, and that’s exactly what we did, and I ended up having a pretty successful workout if I say so myself (smile), and yeah, that’s why I’m here right now. So he saw the potential in me obviously and we’ve been working on it ever since, the player development workouts and stuff like that, and I’m just glad to be here.
Q: Was the dinner at Del Frisco’s different than the one at Avra?
A: I wouldn’t say so much more different, but I felt more comfortable. I got to know a lot more about him … we had a lot more conversations, diving deeper into my past and who I am as my personality as a player and stuff like that. The dinner was a lot more chill. The breakfast the next day is when I told him that I was going to play for him.
Q: What was that moment like for you?
A: It was surreal. I get to stop talking to all these other coaches. We already had plans to go visit some other schools, but essentially all that was obviously canceled and stuff like that. The moment was a weight off my back, I would say.
Q: You didn’t have steak and eggs for breakfast, did you?
A: No I didn’t (laugh). I had the traditional eggs, pancakes, waffles and all that (laugh).
Q: That was right before he was getting ready to go to France, right?
A: Yes.
Q: How did you word it?
A: He told me he was not going to leave til I committed to him. I remember talking to my Pops and my mom on the side, and I was like, “Yeah, I think this is the place.” My Pops recommended that this is going to be a good fit for me as well. We were having little conversations, and then I stood up and I was like, “Coach, I would like to come play for you.” And yeah, the rest is history, he gave me a big hug, and he was obviously ecstatic, and yeah.
Q: Why did you decide to stand up?
A: I felt like it was a respect thing, just kind of stand up and just kind of let him know that this is where I’m going to be playing next year, and I would love to come play for you and grab some wisdom of how you develop your players, and it’s been working out for me so far.
Q: What makes him a Hall of Fame coach?
A: I would just say his passion. In practices, in games, you always feel his energy. It feels like he’s coaching his first 10 years, it feels like. He says that he’s not doing this for him but he’s doing this essentially for us to know what it feels like to win championships. Yeah, just his passion for the game, that’s what I think separates him from the rest.
Q: What did you think when he wore the white suit last year on Johnnies Day at the Garden?
A: It was cool (smile). A little whiteout moment. Everybody loved that suit. When he put it on, we were like, “We can’t lose this game. When he’s looking that good, that fly, we can’t lose this game,” so we got the dub (laugh).
Q: How would The Post’s St. John’s beat writer Zach Braziller look in a suit like that?
A: Uhhhh (laugh) … I don’t know if he could exactly pull it off like Coach P did that day, but I’d say it would look good.
Q: Coach P’s motivation?
A: He always says, “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” If you’re doing things the same way and it’s not producing, why keep doing it the way that you’ve been doing it so far? Nothing changes if nothing changes. So you got to change up a little bit of something to ultimately get that result that you’re trying to look for.
Q: Any pregame or postgame speeches come to mind?
A: He’s always saying, “You play for the name on the front and not the one on the back,” and when you do that, you’re going to prosper. Not just playing for yourself, but playing for each other and playing for the program and just seeing where that takes you.
Q: What’s the easiest way to make him angry?
A: It’s got to be something defensively. Not communicating within each other. He doesn’t get mad especially on the offensive end when you’re off or you’re not hitting shots, you’re not hitting your free throws, you’re not hitting 3-point shots. He would get mad though if you’re thinking about it. That’s where you have to have a strong mind. If you’re not communicating, if you don’t show passion and love for the game, that’s where he can get mad I would think.
Q: Where have you made the biggest strides in your game?
A: I always take pride in being a defensive player first. I showed a little bit of that last year, but being able to flash a little bit of my offensive skill set this year is what I’ve been doing so far, and just improving on my leadership. I have a new role this year, I’m one of the captains of the group, so being able to be a vocal leader and not just lead by example and kind of uplift guys and get guys around me a lot better.
Q: Biggest strides offensively?
A: Just being able to be more comfortable in the post. I think I’m a really good or decent offensive rebounder, I would say so. So just being able to get my teammates a second chance at being able to put the ball in the hoop … being able to be a presence, a little bit of a presence in the post.
Q: Blocking shots?
A: There’s always room for improvement, obviously.
Q: Do you see yourself on the defensive end as an intimidator?
A: I would hope so (laugh). I would hope so.
Q: Your on-court mentality?
A: I have a really strong desire and will to win. I’m a sore loser, I don’t like losing at all. I’m going to do whatever it takes literally to win the game, whatever a coach asks of me, even if I like it or don’t like it, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Q: Why were you so upset after the Baylor game?
A: It was obviously an emotional night, and I was upset and emotional because I had the chance to essentially ice the game, and it didn’t fall through, and I missed those two free throws which led to the 3-point shot being taken and made.
Q: Why were you so hard on yourself?
A: Because I could have ended the game. I know I’m better than that and it was an emotional night for me because I wanted to win as much as anybody else out there … we all felt like it was our game, everything was flowing the right way for us.
Q: On the opposite end of the spectrum was your game-winner at Providence.
A: That was my giveback (smile).
Q: Biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?
A: I’m a big competitor so after high school, I’m thinking, “Oh yeah, I’m going to go to college, I’m going to be effective, I’m going to produce, I’m going to be impactful to a program,” so I went to Kansas thinking that I would have the chance to make a winning impact for the program and it didn’t happen. I played behind Joel [Soriano] and I got to learn a lot from him and I’m entirely grateful for that. Being able to have Joel to take me under his wing and show me the ropes of being at St. John’s. That’s been my obstacle so far and now here I am, so I think that molded me into the person I am today.
Q: Do you feel like you were disrespected in high school? Overlooked?
A: Yeah. I wanted to be a McDonald’s All-American, and I wasn’t. I’ve always kind of came from the ground up, I would say. My first four years of high school I’ve been often overlooked by everybody, I didn’t really get the spotlight like everybody else.
Q: Did it put a chip on your shoulder?
A: Yes, I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder, I’ve always tried to out-compete everybody and outwork anybody in front of me, that’s just how I was raised.
Q: A social media quote from you; “Move in silence, keep ’em guessing.”
A: Just kind of move at your own speed, and not let anybody know what your next move is, just keep ’em guessing.
Q: What did you learn about Coach Carnesecca?
A: He was very soft-spoken, but his words meant a lot.
Q: You were homesick when you first got to St. John’s?
A: I would say I was a little bit homesick the first like week maybe, but that’s normal.
Q: What’s it been like not having a car?
A: (Laugh) It sucks. I got to Uber and DoorDash food every day, something like that, so it sucks.
Q: Andy emptied out your dorm room at Kansas after Hunter Dickinson committed to transfer there.
A: Pops, he told them that we were going to go to the portal. I was in my classroom, I was taking a test, I didn’t want to have to worry about anything else, about the portal or anything like that. I was not going to help him out because I was mad. I didn’t want to leave, I’m not going to lie to you. I didn’t want to leave because it’s Kansas, who would want to leave that? But I know it’s in the best interests for me to leave, but like I said, I didn’t want to leave. I’m glad he did that though. I’m glad he took charge. It was hard. I know that he didn’t want to leave, too, he’s always been a Kansas fan. So he was packing out my room and I was just kind of sitting there and just reminiscing about the past year or just what I’d been through.
Q: Pops has meant a lot to you.
A: I love him. Obviously our relationship has grown ever since the eighth grade. It’s more than a coach-player relationship, that’s my Pops, he knows that. I love him to death and I appreciate everything he’s ever done for me, up to this point he’s always been one of my biggest supporters. He’s always there and he always tries to make it to every game no matter how far, he’s going to take a flight and stuff like that.
Q: You met him when you were 12.
A: He was an AAU coach … he loved my motor and how fast I could run up and down the court, so he recruited me to his AAU team [Thunder Elite].
Q: What drives you?
A: Just my family, I would say. The opportunity to provide for my family, that’s something that I take pride in. And my will and desire to win every game that I play, and my passion for the game. Being able to out-compete the person in front of me is something that I try to do every single day.
Q: Kevin Durant is your favorite player?
A: Steph Curry’s my favorite player. He’s just really entertaining. But Kevin Durant is someone that I really love his game I would say.
Q: What do you love about it?
A: Just how easy he makes the game look. On the offensive end he’s just incredibly skilled, he gets to his spot, he doesn’t let anybody waver him.
Q: What was it like playing at the Garden for the first time last year against Michigan?
A: Well it sucked because we lost (laugh). Other than that, man, it’s the Mecca of basketball, obviously, and it was a surreal moment for me. I watched games on TV obviously but there’s nothing like really playing on the floor where so many legends have played in the past, so just getting to know the history and being a part of that, it was a surreal moment.
Q: When was the last time you visited Nigeria?
A: Probably four years ago.
Q: How proud of your Nigerian heritage are you?
A: Pretty proud. My mom takes a hold to that very proudly. She’s actually there right now. She went to Nigeria three, four days ago for the holidays. Some of my brothers went down there as well just to spend time with my family members down there and my Pops down there as well.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: LeBron [James]; Martin Luther King; my mom.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “[Avengers] Infinity War.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Robert Downey Jr.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Megan Fox.
Q: Favorite entertainer/singer/rapper?
A: Rod Wave.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: I’m a big steak guy. Let’s do a ribeye, I’m there.
Q: How good can this team be?
A: I think we can be as good as want to be, honestly. When we start having fun, and just playing off each other, I think we could really hang with anybody in the country, really.
Q: The on-court personality of this team.
A: You could tell we obviously like playing with each other. You could see how aligned we are especially when we love to play for each other and when we start playing together defensively, start communicating within each other, it shows how good we can be.
Q: What do you think of the Big East?
A: It’s always a monster every single year. Anybody has a chance to essentially win. We all believe that we could put ourselves in a good position to win. Collectively we got to have the motor that we are going to be the Big East champs, we are going to make it to the [NCAA] Tournament, we are going to go far. Everybody has an equal opportunity I feel like to win the crown and we definitely believe that we could do that.
Q: You were eliminated in the second round of March Madness at Kansas.
A: My job as one of the leaders of this team is to kind of put us in the right situation to be able to make the run on our terms and not leave it up to the [selection] committee. We got a lot of old guys on the team, they haven’t experienced that moment, so just making it to the tournament and going far would mean a lot to us.
Q: How far?
A: Final Four … championship. That’s our main focus.
Q: How much did it hurt not getting into the tournament last year?
A: It was a little disappointing. We were waiting for our name to be called. We all believed that we deserved to be called, but it never happened. Just seeing the looks on the older guys’ faces, the guys that didn’t get an opportunity to come back to college, it hurt. It was an emotional day for everybody, the staff, the players. I don’t think I want to go through that again.
Q: Do you think that is a motivational force for you guys?
A: Absolutely. It would mean a lot not just for us, but for the whole community, to be able to go dancing again, and just go far.
Q: What are your goals?
A: Obviously individually to just be the best player I could be. I’m not really all too worried about my goals individually, but collectively as a group, as a team, I have a goal to win the Big East and go to the tournament, go far, like we haven’t done in years.
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Q: Is the NBA a realistic dream?
A: Yes. I think that I could one day be an NBA player.
Q: How would you describe the St. John’s fan base?
A: I would say there’s not too much like them, especially I got to really hone in on that after the Baylor game. They didn’t pull me down for missing those two free throws. The next game after that, they were chanting my name “Zuby, Zuby” in the layup lines. I couldn’t control my emotions, I obviously had to take a little smile to that and acknowledge them for doing that. I don’t think there’s a lot of programs that’s going to do that. To be able to support a player in a down moment like that, that meant a lot.
Q: What do you know about the St. John’s basketball history?
A: I don’t know a whole lot, but I know that they were really dominant in the Big East in the past few decades and stuff like that, they were the frontrunners for the Big East, and that’s what we’re all trying to work towards, just getting right back to that, and making St. John’s a name that everybody’s really going to know globally.
Q: Your message to St. John’s fans about this team and about this year?
A: I would say that we’re going to play for them, we’re going to play not for ourselves, but like Coach P said, “We’re going to play for the name in the front,” and I think that’s going to take us so far like I said. We enjoy playing with each other, and we all feel like we have a really solid chance to make this year a really memorable one.
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