St. John’s vs. Duke could come down to the battle of elite big men

Both won Player of the Year in their respective conferences. They are two of only four players to be named a semifinalist for both Naismith Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. And by all accounts, they are two of ...

The résumés of St. John’s star Zuby Ejiofor and Duke phenom Cameron Boozer read quite similarly. Both lead their teams in scoring, rebounding and assists.

Both won Player of the Year in their respective conferences. They are two of only four players to be named a semifinalist for both Naismith Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. And by all accounts, they are two of the top big men in the country.

But one thing will separate Ejiofor and Boozer on Friday night. Only one can advance to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight — and the deciding factor may very well be which one of them performs better in their teams’ marquee matchup in Washington, D. C.