A pair of national-title contenders will square off when No. 14 St. John's and No. 16 Iowa State meet Monday on the opening day of the loaded Players Era men's championship at Las Vegas.

St. John's' (3-1) lone hiccup of the season came in a 103-96 setback against then-No. 15 Alabama on Nov. 8, a loss that slid the Red Storm down eight spots in the AP Top 25.

Since then, head coach Rick Pitino's group has earned convincing wins over William & Mary and Bucknell. Monday's game will prove a far greater challenge.

"I think Iowa State is as difficult to play against as any team in basketball," Pitino said. "Their defensive rebounding is relentless, they're very physical. It's great for us to play against this type of competition. You have a who's who of basketball (in Las Vegas)."

Of the tou

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