St. John’s enters Monday’s Players Era matchup with rising momentum, elite pressure defense, and strong transition play. Iowa State is favored, but the Red Storm feels like the sharper side.
St. John’s arrives in Las Vegas playing its best basketball of the early season. The Red Storm is coming off a 97 to 49 dismantling of Bucknell, a game defined by defensive pressure that forced 24 turnovers and produced 32 fast break points. Pitino’s group defended with physicality, switched with precision, and looked far more connected than they were in their season opener.
Their scoring balance also matters. Ian Jackson has given them an athletic downhill presence. Bryce Hopkins and Zuby Ejiofor have become one of the better scoring duos in the nation.
The game today now becomes #14 St. John’s against #15 Iowa State making the jump up one and St. John’s staying put. #SJUBB https://t.co/rlkWwsaLbJ
— Maxwell Cohen (@MCohenSports07) November 24, 2025
St. John’s showed signs of having multiple creators capable of moving defenses and generating pace. In a neutral-site tournament setting, that matters.
Iowa State is ranked higher, but the Cyclones have not faced a defensive scheme as aggressive or physical as the one Pitino deploys. The Red Storm’s ability to distort rhythm on the perimeter gives them a viable path to controlling tempo, even against a disciplined team.
Cyclones are sturdy, but Vegas profile raises red flags
Iowa State’s résumé is clean. The Cyclones are unbeaten, structured, efficient, and excellent defensively. Tamin Lipsey is an outstanding lead guard, and Otzelberger’s roster is built to handle pressure. The analytics point to a team that forces turnovers, rebounds well, and rarely allows clean looks.
But there are reasons to fade them in this spot.
11/24 CBB Lean🏀: ST Johns ML
•The Red Storm face Iowa State in what should be one of the best games of the entire week. ISU is 4-0 on the year while ST Johns is 3-1. Bryce Hopkins the transfer PG is going to be the 🔑 tonight if the Red Storm are going to be victorious. pic.twitter.com/S1hjTx9pY6— 4Pbets (@4Pbets) November 24, 2025
The Cyclones are just 2 and 7 in their last nine Las Vegas appearances and have historically struggled in neutral-floor tournament openers. More importantly, this roster has not yet faced a team with St. John’s level of verticality and pressure.
They have largely controlled games by forcing opponents into half-court execution. St. John’s forces the opposite.
Pace is the hinge. If the Red Storm can create chaos, generate turnovers, and make this a transition-tilted game, Iowa State’s efficiency drops. Neutral courts also tend to compress elite shooting teams, and Iowa State’s free-throw issues remain notable.
St. John’s vs. Iowa State Prediction and Best Bets
The market has Iowa State favored by roughly two points, but the matchup leans toward St. John’s. Pitino’s defensive scheme is exactly the type that disrupts ball-secure teams by overwhelming them with pressure and tempo demands.
St. John’s depth advantage in athleticism, along with Jackson ability to attack gaps, provides a path to sustained scoring.
PICK: St. John’s +2.5
Lean: St. John’s ML
Projected Score: St. John’s 83, Iowa State 77
