St. John’s enters AP preseason men’s basketball poll at No. 13
The Red Storm are ranked in consecutive preseason polls for the first time since the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons, according to Rumble in the Garden.
St. John’s men’s basketball is No. 13 in the AP preseason Top 25 released on October 19, 2026. The New York program has appeared in consecutive preseason polls for the first time since 1990-91 and 1991-92, according to SB Nation’s Rumble in the Garden. The ranking follows back-to-back Big East titles as the Red Storm prepare for the 2026-27 season.
St. John’s began last season at No. 5, its highest preseason ranking in program history, Rumble in the Garden reported. The team went on to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in more than a quarter-century. Its No. 13 position this year is lower, but the return to the preseason poll extends a stretch that has included two conference titles and a deeper NCAA tournament run.
St. John’s and UConn lead the Big East’s ranked teams
UConn is the only other Big East team in this season’s Top 25, entering at No. 4, according to Rumble in the Garden. Villanova received six votes and Marquette three without making the rankings. UConn was also picked to finish first in the Big East preseason poll, so the two ranked conference teams enter the season with different positions in both polls.
Florida leads the national AP poll with 47 of 59 first-place votes, CBS Sports reported. Duke is No. 2 and Illinois No. 3. ESPN reported that reigning champion Michigan is No. 16 in the AP poll. NewsJaws has also covered Florida’s place atop the preseason rankings in its report on Florida topping the AP poll.
Ranked opponents on St. John’s schedule
St. John’s is due to face either No. 11 Louisville or No. 19 Texas Tech in the second round of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Rumble in the Garden reported. It is also scheduled to host No. 5 Arizona on December 5 and play No. 20 Alabama in Birmingham on December 12. Those games would put the Red Storm against teams that also begin the season in the Top 25.
The incoming group includes transfers Tounde Yessoufou from Baylor and Keyshawn Hall from Auburn, along with Quinn Ellis and Babacar Sane, who previously played in European leagues, according to Rumble in the Garden. St. John’s has beaten Drexel and Rutgers in exhibitions and is scheduled to close its preseason against No. 7 Texas at Madison Square Garden on October 25. That game comes before the new group begins regular-season play together.
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Sources and context
- St. John’s men’s basketball enters at No. 13 in AP Top 25 preseason pollSB Nation (Rumble in the Garden; republished by Yahoo Sports)
- College basketball rankings: Florida earns No. 1 spot in preseason AP Top 25 poll ahead of Duke, IllinoisCBS Sports
- Breaking down the men's 2026-27 AP preseason Top 25 basketball pollESPN
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.