St. John’s basketball’s dream 2026 March Madness bracket scenarios

St. John’s basketball erased a nightmarish Feb. 25 performance versus UConn to win six straight. That includes blasting the Huskies on Saturday to reclaim the Big East title. Head coach Rick Pitino is putting together a brand new dream season in Queens, N.Y. ahead of March Madness.

But it only becomes a dream if the Red Storm land in a winnable bracket.

Selection Sunday has arrived and the “Johnnies” are wondering where their team will land. What’s certain is the Big East champs won’t be a No. 1 seed, yet could land as high as No. 2.

St. John’s still could face this nightmare scenario. But there’s this dream one we’re presenting here.

St. John’s to Midwest could present deep run

CBS Sports bracketology dropped this final projection before the pairings are unveiled: St. John’s to the Midwest bracket as a No. 5.

That regional sets up a deep run for the Red Storm.

Pitino and his crew would face No. 12 Northern Iowa here. The Panthers have struggled with establishing offensive consistency. They failed to surpass the 70-point mark 16 times this season. St. John’s presents the pressure defense to eliminate NIU right away.

Nebraska rises as the next possible foe. The Cornhuskers put together a dream season before hitting a thud in February. That could haunt the ‘Huskers ahead of the tournament. Nebraska faces a size dilemma already before the tournament unveiling. St. John’s can wear down Nebraska’s lack of size as a taller, physical opponent.

Even the projected No. 1 in the Midwest Michigan presents flaws that could doom the Wolverines. Notably ball security as Michigan became prone to turnovers. St. John’s forced UConn to 16 turnovers Saturday, which in turn can exploit the Wolverines.

Iowa State or Vanderbilt is left as the final obstacle in this projected bracket. The Cyclones looked reliant on star players and became inconsistent away from Ames. Vandy is another lacking size which St. John’s can overwhelm.

Is there another dream bracket for St. John’s?

The West surfaces as one other potentially winnable bracket. Even if the Red Storm land a five seed there.

St. John’s would tangle with some up-and-down teams there in Ohio State and BYU. But can start by facing first time NCAA Tourney qualifier Cal Baptist.

Arkansas presents an intriguing rematch, hence why this regional enters “dream” status. Pitino and the returning Storm players could still be thinking about the 75-66 loss to the Razorbacks last season, which prevented a Sweet 16 bid. Plus that matchup can once again liven up the Pitino versus John Calipari rivalry.

Anywhere west of the Mississippi River looks less challenging for St. John’s. It’s best to still avoid Arizona, though, with its deep lineup of size and shooters. But still, landing in either the West or Midwest increases the Storm’s chances of making a Final Four run.

The post St. John’s basketball’s dream 2026 March Madness bracket scenarios appeared first on ClutchPoints.