On-court preparations are ramping up as St. John’s is set to tip off their regular season one week from Monday. They will get one final preseason tune-up, and it will be a worthy challenge when they face the seventh-ranked Texas Longhorns in an early battle of top-15 teams.
Welcome to the thread for Sunday’s exhibition game against Texas. Please be respectful in the comment section and do not share any illegal streams of the game.
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Game information
Who: No. 13 St. John’s Red Storm vs. No. 7 Texas Longhorns
When: Sunday, October 25, 2026, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
TV: MSG Network, ESPN+
Radio: N/A
Series History: All-time series is tied, 1-1. Led by then-super-freshman Kevin Durant, the Longhorns defeated the Red Storm in their last competitive meeting on November 17, 2006 in a 77-76 squeaker. St. John’s won their first meeting in the second round of the 1991 NCAA Tournament, 84-76.
Injury news
Kyle Cuffe, Jr. (unknown) did not participate in the exhibitions against Drexel and Rutgers.
What to watch for
Raise Ell’: Quinn Ellis is establishing himself as St. John’s most important player and is capable of bending the game to his will. The Red Storm point guard not only came close to recording a triple-double, but he only committed one turnover in a whopping 56 minutes played in the Red Storm’s 104-99 exhibition win over Rutgers last Sunday. Ellis is also proving to be a defensive menace who can play beyond his 6-foot-4 frame, and he should come in handy on switches against shifty Colorado transfer Isaiah Johnson (16.9 points per game, 3.0 assists per game in 2025-26) and his much taller Texas teammates.
Don’t Trifle with the Triple: This is still only preseason, but it is a bit disappointing to see the Red Storm’s three-point troubles resurface, even with a brand-new roster that is supposed to have better shooting talent. St. John’s went 13-of-59 from deep in scrimmages against Drexel and Rutgers, a 22-percent clip over a solid sample. Shooting struggles aren’t uncommon early in the season, but the Red Storm are taking enough quality shots, and they have to start falling.
Trouble on the Boards: What merits concern is the Red Storm’s work on the glass. Drexel matched St. John’s on rebounds in their first scrimmage, then the Johnnies only collected 51 boards to Rutgers’ 58 last Sunday. Starting center Ruben Prey hasn’t grabbed more than two rebounds in either scrimmage. Rick Pitino addressed that issue during Friday’s media availability, saying they aren’t a physical team right now and are still working on getting tougher.
The Red Storm will certainly get challenged on the inside against the likes of a 7-foot center and the Longhorns’ leading returning scorer Matas Vokietaitis (15.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg in 2025-26), two-way ace David Punch (14.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg with TCU in 2025-26), high-flying wing and Keyshawn Hall’s ex-teammate Elyjah Freeman (9.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg with Auburn in 2025-26), and five-star freshman and the son of a former NFL defensive lineman Marcus Spears, Jr.
Pregame links
- Five-star high school recruit Malachi Jordan will attend Sunday’s game against Texas. The 6-foot-7 small forward is currently on an official recruiting visit at St. John’s.
- Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins made their NBA debuts this week. Ejiofor scored his first points in the league with a triple in the Hawks’ 128-81 blowout win over the Hornets on Friday night. Hopkins checked in late in the Nuggets’ season opener against the Thunder, then made his first career start in Denver’s 141-135 overtime win over the Pelicans on Saturday night, where he posted a modest two points and two rebounds in 19 minutes.
- Speaking of St. John’s alumni in the Association: Daniss Jenkins rocked the rim during his 15-point triple-nickel performance to help the Pistons beat the Heat in South Beach.
- Rick Pitino is understandably unhappy with how the NCAA is handling these five-in-five eligibility lawsuits.
- CBS Sports reports that St. John’s is spending at least $20 million on its roster this season, placing it among the top-tier teams.
- Quinn Ellis is rated as the top incoming international player by analytics guru Evan Miyakawa.
- St. John’s and Kentucky are reportedly in advanced discussions to schedule a two-year series at Arthur Ashe Stadium beginning in November 2027. This isn’t the first time the Red Storm have tried to schedule a blue blood at the home of the U.S. Open.