Saint John's basketball opens the 2026-27 season at Wisconsin-Superior's National Bank of Commerce (NBC) Tip-Off Classic this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7, at Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium. The Johnnies face No. 18 Wisconsin-La Crosse at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by a 4 p.m. tip-off against the host Yellowjackets on Saturday.

LIVE COVERAGE
-5 p.m. on Friday: Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats | Live Video
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PRESEASON POLL: SJU received votes in D3hoops.com's preseason poll, while La Crosse debuted at No. 18. MIAC-foe Gustavus Adolphus is No. 5.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: The Saint John's basketball team exceeded expectations a year ago.

Now the more veteran Johnnies hope to continue building on that success.
 
SJU finished second in the MIAC with an 11-5 record (16-11 overall) and advanced to their sixth MIAC playoff championship game in the past seven seasons in 2025-26. 
 
SJU returns 87.1 percent of its scoring – 1,830 of 2,101 points – from last season.
 
Head coach Pat McKenzie '04 begins his 12th season with a 215-68 record, including a 157-39 mark in MIAC play. His .760 win percentage is third among active Division III coaches (minimum five seasons) and 11th in all divisions of basketball (DI, DII and DIII).
 
Here is a look at the 2026-27 Johnnies:
 
Peyton's Points
The first Johnnie freshman to earn All-MIAC honors in 50 years – Frank Wachlarowicz '79 in 1975-76 – sophomore guard Peyton Podany (Anoka, Minn.) led MIAC freshmen in both made three-pointers (45, tied for second overall) and three-point percentage (.433/45-for-104, fourth overall); and was second in scoring (16.5 ppg., seventh overall) in conference play. He also averaged 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per MIAC contest.
 
He was one of two players to start all 27 games for SJU last season and led the Johnnies in scoring (15.0 ppg.), rebounding (5.8 rpg.) and three-pointers (66), while adding 2.5 assists per contest. He had nine games of 20 points or more, eight of which were against conference opponents and seven against MIAC playoff teams. Podany tallied 34 points twice (Feb. 11 vs. Macalester and Feb. 21 vs. Augsburg) and collected three double-doubles. 
 
He averaged 25.8 points and 5.8 rebounds with a .535 shooting percentage (54-for-101), including .488 (21-for-43) from three-point range, over the Johnnies' final six games. Those totals include an average of 25.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in two MIAC playoff games.
 
A Fifth-Year Senior
Guard Kyle Johnson (Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle) was off to a great start to his senior season in 2025-26 by averaging 15.8 points with a .444 shooting percentage (32-72), including 41.7 percent (20-48) from three-point range, through six games played. A nagging leg injury, however, persisted and ended his season. He elected to use a medical-hardship waiver and return for the 2026-27 season.
 
In 2024-25, Johnson appeared in all 29 games (with two starts) and averaged 8.3 and 1.9 rebounds per contest. He shot 40.1 percent (81-202) from the field and 39.1 percent (50-128) from behind the three-point arc in 17.7 minutes per game. 
 
Four Seniors
SJU returns four seniors in addition to Johnson in 2026-27. Guard Baiden Bean (Farmington, Minn.) was All-MIAC honorable mention a year ago after he led the MIAC (league games only) in assists (93), was second in assist/turnover ratio (+3.10) and fourth in steals (27). Overall, Bean played all 27 games (with 18 starts) and registered 149 assists, the fourth-most in SJU history. He also led the team in steals (43) and was second in scoring (8.6 ppg.). Bean finished sixth in NCAA Division III in assist/turnover ratio (+3.39) and 18th in assists.
 
Post Vincent Hillesheim (Minneapolis, Minn./Hopkins) joined Podany on the MIAC All-Playoff Team after he did not miss a shot – going 11-for-11 from the field – with a team-best 6.5 rebounds in the MIAC playoffs. He led the MIAC in shooting percentage (.675/56-for-83) and posted a team-best 6.1 rebounds in conference play. Hillesheim joined Podany as the only player to start every game for the Johnnies last season and averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest.
 
Wing Jamison Lien (Prior Lake, Minn.) came off the bench in all 27 games during his first season in Collegeville. He shot 66.7 percent (80-120) from the field and averaged 6.7 and 4.0 rebounds in 15.1 points per contest. Guard A.J. McCleery (Mahtomedi, Minn.), meanwhile, appeared in six games last season.
 
A Pair of Junior Guards
SJU returns a pair of junior guards in Liam Farniok (Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest) and Justin Johnson (Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle). Farniok appeared in all 27 games, with 20 starts, and averaged 7.2 points, 2.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per game. Johnson made one start and came off the bench in 23 others with 6.5 points in 14.1 minutes per contest. He was third on the team with 31 three-pointers and shot 34.1 percent from behind the arc.
 
Set for Year No. 2
Four sophomores joined Podany with immediate impacts to the program as freshmen in 2025-26.
Guard Henry Tschetter (Stewartville, Minn.) started 25 games and shot 51.5 percent from the field with an average of 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20.1 minutes. Another guard, Hudson Hochstedler (Monticello, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville), suited up in 26 games, including three starts. He averaged 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in 15.5 minutes.
 
Post Evan Weichert (New Prague, Minn.) came off the bench in 17 games and went 15-20 from inside the arc, averaging 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per contest. Tommy Auge (Shakopee, Minn.) saw time in 13 games and blocked four shots, one behind the team lead owned by Bean and Podany.
 
Home Cooking
SJU led the MIAC in per-game attendance (828 avg.) for the fourth-straight season and finished 10th in NCAA Division III in 2025-26. 
 
The Johnnies boast a 490-156 (.759) all-time record at Sexton Arena (Warner Palaestra), including a 93-15 (.861) mark over the last nine seasons.
 
The 2026-27 Schedule 
This season's nine non-conference opponents combined for a 152-93 (.620) record in 2025-26 and four played in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Eight of the nine non-conference games consist of four out-of-state trips, while the lone home game is Dec. 9 against Buena Vista (Iowa). The Johnnies' non-conference record improves to 146-74 (.664) without UWS' 6-19 mark from last year. 
 
The Johnnies and the rest of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) are in the third season of a four-year trial in which conference play features 16 games (instead of 20). SJU faces Augsburg, Concordia, Gustavus Adolphus and Macalester once (and the other six MIAC members twice).
  
The Johnnies make their way to Connecticut the following weekend (Nov. 14-15) for tip-offs against Hartford and Western Connecticut State before returning to Collegeville for a three-game homestand: Dec. 2 vs. Hamline, Dec. 5 vs. St. Olaf and the aforementioned Dec. 9 tilt against BVU. Western Connecticut State won the Little East regular-season and playoff championships en route to the NCAA tournament and finished with a 21-7 record a year ago.
 
SJU returns to Wisconsin Dec. 12 for a showdown at Wisconsin-Stevens Point and takes on Trine (Ind.) Dec. 13 on the Pointers' court. The 2023-24 Division III national champion, Trine went 20-8 with a season-ending loss in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) playoff title game last season.
 
The Johnnies end non-conference play in a warmer climate – Naples, Fla. – Dec. 19-20 with neutral-site games against Transylvania (Ky.) and Olivet (Mich.). Transylvania reached the NCAA tournament thanks to winning both Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) regular-season and playoff championships and tallied a 20-9 record.
 
Conference competition returns in 2027 starting Jan. 2 at Saint Mary's, followed by home games against Carleton (Jan. 6) and Bethel (Jan. 9). The Johnnies venture to St. Scholastica Jan. 16 and the reigning MIAC champion, Gustavus Adolphus, Jan. 20. 
 
The remaining MIAC schedule alternates home and away for SJU in bunches, beginning with a pair of contests in Sexton Arena vs. St. Scholastica (Jan. 23) and Macalester (Jan. 27). The Johnnies then travel to Northfield for back-to-back games against St. Olaf (Jan. 30) and Carleton (Feb. 3), before ending the home schedule vs. Saint Mary's (Feb. 6) and Concordia (Feb. 10). The regular season closes with trips to Augsburg (Feb. 13), Hamline (Feb. 17) and Bethel (Feb. 20).
 
The MIAC playoffs start with the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Feb. 23, followed by the MIAC semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 25. The MIAC championship game, as well as the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament, will be determined on Saturday, Feb. 27. The high seed hosts in all three rounds.

A LOOK AT THE EAGLES: Wisconsin-La Crosse won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (WIAC) playoff title for the first time and reached the NCAA's Sweet 16 with a 24-7 record last season. The Eagles were picked to finish second in the WIAC preseason poll.  UWL returns two starters and 10 letter winners from last year, including senior (6-foot-4) guard Sam Grieger, who was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-America first team and D3hoops.com All-America second team. He was also named the NABC and WIAC Player of the Year. Grieger finished seventh in NCAA Division III in scoring (25.7), while leading the nation in field goals made (275), third in attempts (533) and fourth in both free throws made (212) and attempted (248). He is sixth on the Eagles' all-time scoring list with 1,503 points and scored in double figures in all 31 games with at least 25 points in 17 contests. 

A YEAR AGO: Then-No. 3 UWL handed SJU an 80-65 defeat last Nov. 26 in La Crosse, Wis. The Johnnies faced shooting woes through the first half and was whistled for 21 personal fouls that La Crosse – which jumped four spots in the first D3hoops.com national poll released days before (Nov. 24) – scored 27 points off of from the line. 

Both teams went nearly three minutes without a made field goal until Hillesheim broke through with a hook shot for the Johnnies to make it 2-2 after UWL scored on free throws to open the game.  

But that was all SJU could muster up for the opening minutes of play, as the home team put up seven more quick points for a 9-2 lead early in the first half.  

Podany and Noah George each hit a three-pointer to put Saint John's in double digits, but UWL shot 72.7 percent from the floor (8-for-11) and made eight of nine free throws in the final 10 minutes for a 42-26 lead at intermission. 

Grieger accounted for half of the team's points in the first half, totaling 21 on a pair of three-pointers, three free throws and a total of eight made from the floor in 18 minutes.  

McKenzie worked a number of non-starters in for the majority of the second half, coming up with 23 bench points – including eight from freshman post Evan Weichert (New Prague, Minn.) – after the break.  

Saint John's out-scored UW-La Crosse by one point, 39-38, in the second half, with 11 different players scoring on a 15-for-31 (48.4 percent) clip from the floor.  

La Crosse struggled from beyond the arc (3-for-20) but made up for it with 27 free throws on 32 attempts. The Johnnies grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to the Eagles' seven, but only converted three more second-chance points (9-6). The Johnnies missed six free throws and finished 5-for-28 from three-point range. 

Grieger led all scorers with 32 points on 11 of 16 shooting and 8 of 9 free throws. 

Hillesheim finished atop the stat sheet for the Johnnies with a career-high 15 points and six rebounds, five of which were offensive boards. He drew five fouls and made 5 of 8 free throws. 

Podany added eight points and six boards (five defensive), while Bean led the team with four assists. Weichert joined Podany with eight points, all in the second half.  

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 5-7 all-time against La Crosse on the hardwood: 3-2 in Collegeville; 0-3 in La Crosse, Wis.; and 2-1 in St. Cloud (at St. Cloud State).

-Dec. 31, 1969: W, 96-93 in St. Cloud (SCSU)
-Dec. 26, 1974: L, 62-81 in St. Cloud (SCSU)
-Dec. 28, 1977: W, 97-90 (OT) in St. Cloud (SCSU)
-Dec. 30, 1992: L, 78-89 in Collegeville
-Nov. 27, 1993: L, 82-85 in La Crosse, Wis.
-Nov. 21, 1997: W, 72-68 in Collegeville
-Nov. 21, 1998: W, 79-72 in Collegeville
-Nov. 22, 2017: L, 63-65 at La Crosse, Wis.
-Nov. 20, 2018: W, 84-79 in Collegeville
-Nov. 8, 2022: L, 80-84 at La Crosse, Wis.
-Nov. 27, 2024: L, 71-80 in Collegeville
-Nov. 26, 2025: L, 65-80 in La Crosse, Wis.

A LOOK AT THE YELLOWJACKETS: Wisconsin-Superior was tabbed to finish seventh in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) preseason poll after it posted a 6-19 (2-10 UMAC) record last season. The Yellowjackets return the sophomore duo of (6-foot-2) guard Gage Braiedy and (6-foot-9) forward Nick Nordaune to this year's squad, alongside senior (6-foot-9) center Rocco Paulson. Braiedy played all 25 games (with two starts) and averaged 4.6 points per contest. Nordaune appeared in 24 games and led the team with 13 blocks, while averaging 5.6 points and 2.3 rebounds. Paulson started 17 of the 25 games and averaged 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds. UWS hosts St. Olaf Friday night before Saturday's tilt.

FIVE YEARS AGO: SJU closed the Merrill Thompson Classic with a 67-45 win at Superior the last time these two teams played on Nov. 6, 2021. Consistency was the name of the game, as the Johnnies shot 46.7 percent (14-for-30) from the field in the first half and 46.4 percent (13-for-28) in the second. Defensively, the Johnnies held UWS to 29.6 percent (8-for-27) in the second half (33.3 percent for the game).  

Wing Ryan Thissen '24 led all scorers with 18 points on 7 of 13 shooting and collected eight rebounds. SJU's starting posts, Zach Hanson '21 and Mitchell Plombon '23, scored 11 points apiece. 

Guard Kooper Vaughn '25 tallied a career-high seven points and guard Colton Codute '22 filled the scoresheet with five points, eight rebounds and seven assists.  

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 11-6 all-time against the Yellowjackets, with wins in each of the last six meetings (all by 10+ points).