St. John's University Athletics
Players Era Releases Bracket for 2026 Men’s Basketball Championship
5/21/2026 2:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Red Storm will take on Oregon in Las Vegas on Nov. 24
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's men's basketball team will face off against Oregon in its opening game at 2026 The Players Era Championship on Nov. 24, it was announced by Players Era on Thursday afternoon.
All games of The Players Era Championship will be held at either Michelob ULTRA Arena or T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
St. John's will participate in bracket one of the Players Era 16 and will meet either Louisville or Texas Tech in the second round on Nov. 26. The following day, the Red Storm will then play one of four potential opponents in its third game of the tournament: Tennessee, Maryland, Iowa State or San Diego State. Should the Johnnies go 3-0 in those three games, they will remain in Las Vegas to play the winner of bracket two in the Championship Game on Saturday, Nov. 28. The other bracket of the Players Era 16 features Gonzaga, Kansas State, Baylor, Alabama, Michigan, Creighton, Miami and TCU.
The Players Era opener will mark the third time that St. John's and Oregon have met on the hardwood. The Ducks won the first contest between the two programs in the third-place game of the 1975 NIT at Madison Square Garden. Two seasons later, the Johnnies came out on top against Oregon, defeating the Ducks, 61-51, on Jan. 29, 1977, in Queens.
The Red Storm will participate in The Players Era Championship for the second consecutive season. Last year, the Johnnies bookended a 96-81 win over Baylor with a pair of ranked losses, falling to No. 15/13 Iowa State by one before coming up short against No. 21/25 Auburn.
Last season, Oregon went 12-20, including a 5-15 mark in the Big Ten. Louisville finished 24-11, earning a no. 6 seed and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Texas Tech went 23-11, 12-6 in the Big 12, on its way to a no. 5 seed and a second round NCAA appearance.
A second-round matchup against Louisville would be the first meeting between Rick Pitino and Louisville since the Hall of Famer returned to college basketball in 2020. In 16 seasons leading the Cardinals, Pitino tallied 416 wins, six Elite Eights, three Final Fours and the 2013 national championship.
All games of The Players Era Championship will be held at either Michelob ULTRA Arena or T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
St. John's will participate in bracket one of the Players Era 16 and will meet either Louisville or Texas Tech in the second round on Nov. 26. The following day, the Red Storm will then play one of four potential opponents in its third game of the tournament: Tennessee, Maryland, Iowa State or San Diego State. Should the Johnnies go 3-0 in those three games, they will remain in Las Vegas to play the winner of bracket two in the Championship Game on Saturday, Nov. 28. The other bracket of the Players Era 16 features Gonzaga, Kansas State, Baylor, Alabama, Michigan, Creighton, Miami and TCU.
The Players Era opener will mark the third time that St. John's and Oregon have met on the hardwood. The Ducks won the first contest between the two programs in the third-place game of the 1975 NIT at Madison Square Garden. Two seasons later, the Johnnies came out on top against Oregon, defeating the Ducks, 61-51, on Jan. 29, 1977, in Queens.
The Red Storm will participate in The Players Era Championship for the second consecutive season. Last year, the Johnnies bookended a 96-81 win over Baylor with a pair of ranked losses, falling to No. 15/13 Iowa State by one before coming up short against No. 21/25 Auburn.
Last season, Oregon went 12-20, including a 5-15 mark in the Big Ten. Louisville finished 24-11, earning a no. 6 seed and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Texas Tech went 23-11, 12-6 in the Big 12, on its way to a no. 5 seed and a second round NCAA appearance.
A second-round matchup against Louisville would be the first meeting between Rick Pitino and Louisville since the Hall of Famer returned to college basketball in 2020. In 16 seasons leading the Cardinals, Pitino tallied 416 wins, six Elite Eights, three Final Fours and the 2013 national championship.
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