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The St. John's Red Storm have opened the 2026-27 men's college basketball season with two victories, matching early expectations. In their first game, they defeated the Monmouth Hawks 78-63, a win that was far from flawless but still counted in the standings. Their second outing was a near-perfect performance, as they blew out the Iona Gaels 104-65 at Madison Square Garden. That game marked their first at the iconic venue this season, and they dominated from the opening tip, building a commanding lead and never looking back.
Given that strong start, it comes as little surprise that the Red Storm have held steady on their seed line in the latest NCAA Men's Bracketology update from ESPN's Joe Lunardi. St. John's remains a No. 4 seed, but their region has changed from the previous projection. Instead of the Midwest Region, which will be hosted in Kansas City, the Red Storm are now slotted as the No. 4 seed in the South Region. Their second weekend would take place in San Antonio, a more demanding travel destination compared to the Midwest or the East Region, which is set for New York City's Madison Square Garden.
In this bracket update, St. John's is matched up with the No. 13 seed Murray State Racers, the projected automatic qualifier from the Missouri Valley Conference. The Racers have moved up one seed line from the prior update. Within that pod, the Red Storm could potentially face a familiar foe: the Creighton Bluejays are projected in the Opening Round game as a No. 12 seed against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The No. 5 seed in the pod is the Tennessee Volunteers, an at-large team from the SEC that has dropped one seed line. There is a chance St. John's could meet the Volunteers at the Players Era Festival during Feast Week in Las Vegas.
The teams seeded above St. John's in the South Region include the Illinois Fighting Illini as the No. 1 seed from the Big Ten, the Houston Cougars as the No. 2 seed from the Big 12, and the Louisville Cardinals as the No. 3 seed from the ACC. The Red Storm could also square off against Louisville during the Players Era Festival.
Securing a No. 4 seed may prove more difficult for St. John's this season, as the Big East is significantly deeper. Five other teams from the conference are projected in the field alongside the Red Storm: the UConn Huskies, Marquette Golden Eagles, Villanova Wildcats, and Creighton.
Key Analysis
The shift from the Midwest to the South Region introduces a more challenging travel schedule for St. John's, with San Antonio replacing Kansas City as the second-weekend site. While the seed line remains unchanged, the potential matchups present intriguing storylines, including a possible early-season reunion with Tennessee or Louisville at the Players Era Festival. The deeper Big East also means the Red Storm will face stiffer competition night in and night out, making the path to a top-four seed more arduous than in previous years.