There’s no shortage of ranked teams at the 2025 Players’ Era Festival but two, St. John’s and Iowa State, will face off against each other in the first of the three day event. The pair of top-20 teams should give fans an afternoon treat with plenty of star power on the court and sidelines.
Rick Pitinio and St. John’s (3-1) will attempt to earn its first win over a ranked opponent Monday. The Johnnies lone loss came by seven points against another ranked foe, Alabama, at Madison Square Garden, pushing St. John’s out of its preseason top-five ranking. Since then, St. John’s rattled off consecutive blowout wins in preparation for the Players’ Era Festival.
Iowa State (4-0) has looked the part of a top-20 team with four double-digit wins, including a 16-point victory on the road at Mississippi State. The Cyclones have largely returned most of their players from last season’s 25-win club with sights set for more.
St. John’s vs. Iowa State: When and Where
Date: Monday, November 24, 2025, 4:30 ET
Location: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, NV
St. John’s vs. Iowa State: Where to Watch or Stream
Watch: TruTV
Streaming: FuboTV
St. John’s vs. Iowa State: Betting Odds
Spread: Iowa State Cyclones -2.5, St. John's Storm +2.5
Moneyline: Iowa State Cyclones -140, St. John's Storm +120
Total: 161.5
St. John’s vs. Iowa State: Series History
All time series: Tied at 1-1
Last meeting: Iowa State 71, St. John’s 60 (Dec. 4, 2022)
Projected Starting Lineups
St. John’s
Bryce Hopkins (15.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Zuby Ejofor (15.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
Joson Sanon (11.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Dillon Mitchell (10.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
Ozyiah Sellers (8.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Iowa State
Tamin Lipsey (19.0 ppg, 5.3 apg)
Joshua Jefferson (18.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg)
Milan Momcilovic (15.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
Killyan Toure (9.3 ppg, 2.3 spg)
Blake Buchanan (7.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
With five players averaging double-digits, St. John’s offensive attack will give Iowa State’s defense its toughest test to date. The Cyclones have been among the best in the nation at taking the ball away and St. John’s has had stretches of carelessness. Pitino’s club gets to the charity stripe at a high rate, which may test Iowa State’s bench production.
The top-20 battle will have lots of defense and toughness from two programs looking to pick up a marquee win early in the season that will look nice on their resume come March. Can St. John’s live up to its preseason No. 5 merit or will Iowa State announce itself as a threat in the Big 12 race?