St. John’s men’s basketball vs. Iona game preview: Scouting, keys, and prediction

The Red Storm tip off the first of 13 regular-season games at Madison Square Garden against Iona, a team Rick Pitino knows well. Before arriving at St. John’s, the Hall of Fame head coach spent three seasons leading the Gaels from 2020-2023, guiding them to two NCAA Tournament appearances during his time in New Rochelle.

Pitino isn’t the only figure in Sunday afternoon’s game with connections to both schools on Sunday (12 p.m., Peacock). Former Red Storm captain Sadiku Ibine Ayo will face St. John’s for the first time since transferring to Iona this offseason.

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The Red Storm lead the all-time series against the Gaels, 8-3, and have won their previous two meetings. In their last matchup last season, the Johnnies cruised to a 91-64 victory inside Madison Square Garden.

What to watch for in the Storm

Got Hall They Need: Keyshawn Hall says scoring comes easy to him. You don’t need to take his word for it, as his stats from Monday night’s opener tell it all. The Auburn transfer had a team-high 26 points (8-of-13 from the field) and was immune from the Red Storm’s shooting inconsistency. He’s going to be St. John’s’ go-to option if they struggle to take the lid off against Iona.

Second Half Slump: St. John’s were never in any danger of losing Monday’s season opener against Monmouth, but they also never turned it into a blowout as they should have. In Quinn Ellis’s eyes, the Red Storm lost concentration and got away from their game. The Red Storm went 35.1% from the field and gave up eight turnovers in the second half.

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Ted Talk: Rick Pitino says freshman center Theo Edema will make his college basketball debut versus Iona after he was a surprising DNP in Monday’s game against Monmouth. Although he’s still very raw, Edema brings the physicality St. John’s needs to control the paint. The 6-foot-10 big man had four points and seven rebounds in just 12 minutes in the Red Storm’s 87-74 win over Texas in their exhibition finale, including four offensive boards in…

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Publish date : 2026-11-07 18:51:00

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