St. John's star could make Bill Self regret letting him go in Round of 32 matchup

Kansas head coach Bill Self has had to navigate the ever-changing landscape of college sports, especially when it comes to the transfer portal, just like every other head coach. Self has seen some players in his locker room that he probably wishes would have stayed at Kansas, but knows they had to make the right decision for themselves in the transfer portal.

One of those players is Zuby Ejiofor. The senior forward began his career in Lawrence, playing for Self, but he never really got the minutes he wanted in a Kansas uniform. Ejiofor played in 25 games for the Jayhawks, averaging 5.2 minutes and 1.2 points per game.

After his freshman season, Ejiofor made the choice to transfer and found himself with Rick Pitino and St. John's, and the rest has been history. Ejiofor has been named the Big East Player of the Year since leaving Lawrence and knows he made the right decision for himself, even though it was a tough one.

"Coach Self said it himself, he wanted me to stay, I feel like he had visions for me long term," Ejiofor said. "Everything with me was that I wanted to get on the court as fast as possible, I wanted to play, and I didn't have too many opportunities there, so I looked elsewhere and was able to find myself here at St. John's."

Bill Self believes Zuby Ejiofor made the right decision transferring to St. John's from Kansas

It is clear that Ejiofor made the right decisionf or himself in moving to St. John's as he is now averaging 16.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists as the Red Storm's leading man. Ejiofor could even make Self regret letting him go with a stellar performance against the Jayhawks in the Round of 32.

Self even commented on what happened when Ejiofor decided to make the choice to leave, and the Kansas head coach also admitted to wanting him to stay. However, Self also feels like Ejiofor made the right decision in leaving for St. John's.

"I would have loved to see him stay. We all wanted him to stay," Self said. "But with what his goals were, he made a good, solid decision."

Ejiofor has done very well for himself at St. John's, and based on Self's comments, it doesn't seem like he could have reached his potential in Lawrence, especially with all the talent the Jayhawks have. Ejiofor came in as an undersized center for Kansas and is now a very talented forward for the Red Storm.

The St. John's star may not have been able to find his true spot at Kansas, and now he will have the opportunity to send his former team home for the season in the NCAA Tournament.