Zuby Ejiofor helped St. John’s end a number of droughts the past two seasons, and he put an end to another one Tuesday night.
The legendary Johnnie, arguably the program’s best player this century, became the school’s first first-round pick in 14 years, since Maurice Harkless in 2012.
The Hawks took the 6-foot-8 Ejiofor 23rd overall, one pick before the Knicks were on the clock.
Instead of staying in New York to play for the Knicks, Ejiofor joins one of their rivals.
The Knicks beat the Hawks in six games in the opening round of the playoffs.
Ejiofor joins a quality, on-the-rise franchise.
Going in the first round was a question mark, with teams unsure if he had a position at the next level as a 6-foot-8 tweener.
But the Hawks clearly valued Ejiofor for his defensive versatility, internal development and winning traits.
Over the past two years, Ejiofor led St. John’s to back-to-back Big East regular-season and postseason crowns. This past March, he helped them reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in 27 years. Now, he is a first-round draft pick.