“None of us were Auburn basketball today,” said Filip Jović after the shocking 102-72 loss to Michigan on Tuesday. Coach Steven Pearl of Auburn is fully aware of the difficulties lying ahead for his team as they enter the Players Era Championship with another heavy loss on their back. The Tigers have to be up and running very quickly against a St. John’s team that boasts experience, leadership, and steady scoring.

The team that used to wear the Auburn jersey is no more; its roster is almost completely new and still searching for its character. However, the game on Wednesday is a good opportunity for the team to show that the previous win against Oregon, which was quite convincing at 84-73, was not merely a coincidence and that the loss to Michigan was just an exception in the tough competition among the top teams in the country.

St. John’s and head coach Rick Pitino, whose program has won almost 900 college games, are focused on taking advantage of chances in a crowded Players Era field. The Red Storm is 4-2 overall, with wins over Baylor and a perfect 4-0 record in games decided by 10 points or more. Both teams want to prove they are real tournament contenders, so here’s a quick look at the matchup.

How to Watch Auburn vs. St. John’s

When: Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET.
Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
TV: truTV.
Live Box Score: FOX Sports.

Auburn vs. St. John’s: Injury Report

Auburn is going into the game without any players on the injury list at the moment. On the other hand, St. John’s is struggling with a major injury to freshman forward Imran Suljanovic, who’s out for the whole season after dislocating his patella during practice, and undergoing surgery.

Projected Starting Lineups: Auburn vs. St. John’s

Auburn: Keyshawn Hall | KeShawn Murphy | Filip Jović | Tahaad Pettiford | Elyjah Freeman

St. John’s: Oziyah Sellers | Bryce Hopkins | Zuby Ejiofor | Ian Jackson | Joson Sanon

Auburn vs. St. John’s Preview and Prediction

The Tigers, coached by Steven Pearl, arrived in Las Vegas bearing great expectations of having a preseason at their best and a first tournament round full of their strengths. They showed potential against Michigan but exposed their weak points in using their size and new players’ experiences as they lost the battle on defense and offense.

St. John’s comes in as the stronger team, and with Pitino, they are entitled to a title-worthy coach and a balanced offense. Red Storm lacks the size of Michigan, which would have been a disadvantage for Auburn. St. John’s, however, is a strong team that has recently beaten some highly ranked opponents, and it is a team with a very impressive 4-0 record in games where the margin was double digits.

Keyshawn Hall will be the backbone of the Tigers’ success at Auburn. Hall’s 21.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game are not only elite numbers but also the most reliable offensive output for Auburn. Secondary scoring from Tahaad Pettiford at 13.4 points per game is there. The Tigers are fifth in the SEC with 12.3 offensive rebounds per game, an aspect of their game where they must impose themselves on the much smaller St. John’s frontline.

St. John’s has a balanced team, which is its strongest point. Bryce Hopkins is the top scorer with 17.3 points per game and 4.5 rebounds, followed by Zuby Ejiofor with 14.2 points. Senior guard Oziyah Sellers showed his potential against Baylor by scoring 22 points with good efficiency. The Red Storm is making 8.0 three-pointers per game, which is quite a threat to Auburn’s perimeter defense.

St. John’s arrives with a little momentum on its side and the essential advantage of confronting an opponent that is still shaken after losing by 30 points. The toughness of the Tigers and their capacity to perform well on offense and defense will be the deciding factors. As per ESPN analytics and expert analysis, St. John’s has a very modest edge in their victory probability that is set at 52-55% because of their outstanding balance, experience, and Auburn’s limitation in the depth of its bench.