TITLE: Hawks Select St. John’s Forward-Center Zuby Ejiofor With 23rd Pick
SLUG: hawks-select-zuby-ejiofor-23rd-overall
CONTENT:
The Atlanta Hawks used their second first-round selection on Thursday to draft St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor at No. 23 overall.
Ejiofor, 22, completed four collegiate seasons and entered the 2026 NBA Draft as an automatic entrant. The 6’9″ forward/center saw limited action during his freshman year at Kansas and again after transferring to St. John’s as a sophomore. He moved into the Red Storm’s starting lineup as a junior and became a key contributor over his final two seasons.
In 37 games during the 2025-26 campaign, Ejiofor averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 blocks in 30.0 minutes per contest. His performance earned him Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, along with the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award as the nation’s top center. He also helped guide St. John’s to its first Sweet 16 appearance in 25 years.
Scouts view Ejiofor as slightly undersized for a full-time center role and note that his jump shot remains a work in progress. However, his 7’2″ wingspan, defensive versatility and high energy level have drawn praise from talent evaluators.
Atlanta previously selected guard Kingston Flemings with the eighth pick earlier in the evening.
Source: Hoops Rumors
