Top 5 confirmed opponents on St. John's Basketball's 2025-26 non-con schedule

Last year was a historic campaign for St. John’s Basketball, winning the Big East for the first time in decades and getting 31 wins overall. It was imposing, considering they lost their top two non-conference games last season, falling to Baylor and Georgia.

This time around, the Red Storm is set to play one of the toughest non-con slates overall. Besides their participation in the Players Era Tournament, there are some other key games to watch with them.

Here’s a look at the top five confirmed matchups.

5. Ole Miss Rebels

All of the key guards on last season’s roster for Ole Miss are gone. But they bring in AJ Storr, a former star at Wisconsin who struggled at Kansas this past year. However, he could be due for a breakout campaign. The frontcourt is the Rebels' strength on paper, led by returning forward Malik Dia, along with incoming transfers Corey Chest and James Scott. 

4. Baylor Bears

Compared to prior years, Baylor underachieved last season. They have a completely revamped roster this time around, led by incoming transfers Obi Agbim (Baylor) and Michael Rataj (Oregon State). There’s also Tounde Yessoufou, a five-star freshman wing prospect who could be the next new star for the program. If he’s that good, the Bears will be a Big 12 contender.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Tide has always had a top-tier offense in the Coach Nate Oats era, and even without All-American guard Mark Sears, there’s still plenty of potency throughout the roster. Labaron Philon is due to be a breakout sophomore leader, while former 5-star prospect Jalil Bethea comes over from Miami for a larger role. Former Patriot League POY center Noah Williamson comes over from Bucknell as the potential starting center as well.

2. Iowa State Cyclones

ISU brings back three starters from last year, including starting point guard Tamin Lipsey. What will determine their success is how well they replace Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert, the top scorers from last season. Dominick Nelson is set to start in the backcourt after earning WAC Player of the Year honors at Utah Valley.

1. Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky not only returns its leading scorer (Otega Oweh), but it also boasts one of the top transfer portal classes. Pitt leading scorer and passer Jaland Lowe is set to run the offense, while ASU transfer center Jayden Quaintance could be a sophomore breakout star if healthy. With other key pieces such as Kam Williams, Denzel Aberdeen, and Mouhamed Dioubate on the roster, there’s plenty of depth and talent for the Wildcats to be a national title contender.