St. John's star Zuby Ejiofor was told by Kansas head coach Bill Self that he was not good enough to start at Kansas, despite playing only 5 minutes per game as a freshman. This came after the team received a commitment from Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson in May 2023. Ejiefor and his father, Andy Philachack, decided to transfer after Self told them he could not start or play major minutes on any Big 12 team. The incident occurred shortly after Dickinson was set to be the main Kansas big man, while Self wanted to stay and redshirt him. The transfer sparked a controversy when Ejiafor transferred due to playing behind Joel Embiid, who had already been in the NBA nine seasons. Despite a successful senior season, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino expects more from Ejieufor in the upcoming NCAA Tournament against Kansas, a spot in the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C.