Rick Pitino to St. John's Star Zuby Ejiofor: 'You're Going to Make Me Retire'

St. John's basketball coach Rick Pitino delivered an emotional message to his star player Zuby Ejiofor after the Red Storm's stunning upset victory over third-ranked UConn on Friday night, joking that the talented big man's performance was going to force him into retirement. The 22nd-ranked Red Storm pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the college basketball season, defeating the heavily favored UConn Huskies in what many are calling the program's signature win under Pitino's leadership. Ejiofor, a key contributor to the team's success, played a pivotal role in the victory with his dominant performance inside the paint, prompting Pitino's now-viral retirement comment that has quickly spread across social media platforms. The victory marks a significant milestone for Pitino, who took over the St. John's program in 2022 and has been working to rebuild it into a national contender, while also providing a boost to their postseason aspirations and enhancing Ejiofor's draft stock as one of the premier big men in the Big East conference.