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PRESENTED BY

season preview 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 is expected to return 98 percent of its scoring – 2,062 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:

He averaged 25.8 points and 5.8 rebounds with a .535 shooting percentage (54for-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 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.

A FIFTH-YEAR SENIOR

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.

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.

PODANY

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.

PEYTON’S POINTS The first Johnnie freshman to earn AllMIAC honors in 50 years – since Frank Wachlarowicz ’79 in 1975-76 – sophomore guard Peyton Podany (Anoka, Minn.) led MIAC freshmen in both made threepointers (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. 2026-27

Saint John’s Basketball

SET FOR YEAR NO. 2 BEAN

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

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.

CHAMPIONS

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season preview continued ... 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 and the rest of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) are in the third season of a fouryear 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). SJU hosts Division II St. Cloud State in an exhibition game Oct. 29 in Sexton Arena. The exhibition game is the first meeting between the two basketball programs since 2017, when the Johnnies posted a 73-67 win over SCSU in Halenbeck Hall. SJU won three of the final four meetings.

The 2026-27 season officially starts with the first trip outside of Minnesota Nov. 6-7 for a pair of games at WisconsinSuperior. SJU faces Wisconsin-La Crosse, which won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s (WIAC) playoff title and reached the NCAA’s Sweet 16 with a 24-7 record, in the opener and takes on the host Yellowjackets the following day. The Johnnies’ non conference record improves to 146-74 (.664) without UWS’ 6-19 mark from last year. 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.

s e i n n h Jo 2026-27

Saint John’s Basketball

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.

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2026-27 roster #

NAME

POS.

HT.

WT.

HOMETOWN / HIGH SCHOOL

0 BAIDEN BEAN Sr. G 6-1 175 FARMINGTON, MINN./FARMINGTON KYLE JOHNSON PRIOR LAKE, MINN./DELASALLE 1 Sr. G 6-2 190 JUSTIN JOHNSON 2 Jr. G 6-2 180 PRIOR LAKE, MINN./DELASALLE STEWARTVILLE, MINN./STEWARTVILLE 3 HENRY TSCHETTER So. G 6-4 205 SHAKOPEE, MINN./SHAKOPEE 5 TOMMY AUGE So. P 6-11 225 WABASSO, MINN./WABASSO 6 BRAYDEN GUETTER Fr. P 6-7 205 NEW PRAGUE, MINN./NEW PRAGUE 7 EVAN WEICHERT So. P 6-5 210 ANOKA, MINN./ANOKA 10 PEYTON PODANY So. G 6-3 210 ST. PAUL, MINN./CENTRAL 11 ELI MOSEMAN Fr. G 6-1 200 MINNEAPOLIS, MINN./SOUTHWEST 12 LIAM FARNIOK Jr. G 6-3 205 MINNEAPOLIS, MINN./HOPKINS 13 VINCENT HILLESHEIM Sr. P 6-6 235 MONTICELLO, MINN./ST. MICHAEL-ALBERTVILLE 15 HUDSON HOCHSTEDLER So. G 6-3 185 20 PARKER JACOBSON Fr. G 6-3 175 WASHBURN, N.D./WASHBURN 21 BLAKE RISLER Fr. G 6-3 195 EAU CLAIRE, WIS./REGIS 22 CALVIN PETERSON Fr. G 6-2 200 MINNEAPOLIS, MINN./ROOSEVELT PRIOR LAKE, MINN./PRIOR LAKE 24 JAMISON LIEN Sr. W 6-4 205 MAHTOMEDI, MINN./MAHTOMEDI 30 A.J. McCLEERY Sr. G 6-2 195 31 BRETT SIROIN Fr. W 6-5 210 MINNEAPOLIS, MINN./ST. ANTHONY VILLAGE 32 CARTER BRENDEN Fr. W 6-5 195 ST. PAUL, MINN./ROSEVILLE AREA JORDAN, MINN./HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC 33 LEXYN GROF Fr. G 6-3 175 35 GAVIN RODERICK Fr. W 6-4 205 ALEXANDRIA MINN./ALEXANDRIA 55 DEONTE MEEKS So. G 5-6 130 MAYWOOD, ILL./FENWICK

2026-27 basketball schedule OCT. 29 VS. NOV. 6 VS. NOV. 7 @ NOV. 14 @ NOV. 15 @ DEC. 2 VS. DEC. 5 VS. DEC. 9 VS. DEC. 12 @

2026-27

ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY

HUSKIES UW-LA CROSSE

EAGLES UW-SUPERIOR

YELLOWJACKETS HARTFORD

HAWKS WESTERN CONNECTICUT STATE

WOLVES HAMLINE

PIPERS ST. OLAF

OLES BUENA VISTA

BEAVERS UW-STEVENS POINT

POINTERS

Saint John’s Basketball

DEC. 13 VS. DEC. 19 VS. DEC. 20 VS. JAN. 2 @ JAN. 6 VS. JAN. 9 VS. JAN. 16 @ JAN. 20 @ JAN. 23 VS.

TRINE

THUNDER TRANSLYVANIA

PIONEERS OLIVET

COMETS SAINT MARY’S

CARDINALS CARLETON

KNIGHTS BETHEL

ROYALS ST. SCHOLASTICA

SAINTS

GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS

GUSTIES

ST. SCHOLASTICA

SAINTS

JAN. 27 VS. JAN. 30 @ FEB. 3 @ FEB. 6 VS. FEB. 10 VS. FEB. 13 @ FEB. 17 @ FEB. 20 @ HOME

MACALESTER

SCOTS ST. OLAF

OLES CARLETON

KNIGHTS SAINT MARY’S

CARDINALS CONCORDIA

COBBERS AUGSBURG

AUGGIES HAMLINE

PIPERS BETHEL

ROYALS NEUTRAL

AWAY

PRESENTED BY

senior spotlight

KYLE

JAMISON LIEN

BAIDEN BEAN

JOHNSON 6-2

190

6-4

DELASALLE HIGH SCHOOL

205

6-1

PRIOR LAKE HIGH SCHOOL

175

FARMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

What is your best memory from your time on campus – on or off the court?

How have you grown during your time on campus?

What were the reasons you chose to come to Saint John’s?

It’s still the dinner one night after practice with (former players) Ryan Thissen and Brandon Adelman. I haven’t laughed harder since.

I’ve grown closer to God and strengthened my relationship with him. I’ve also made amazing, lifelong friends.

The community and atmosphere here are amazing and I wanted to experience playing in it.

What is something people may not know about you?

What does being a Johnnie mean to you?

I have 11 siblings.

Being a loyal and trustworthy guy in our community.

How have you grown during your time on campus? I think I’ve simply grown up. I’ve learned to handle more responsibility and gained more of the life skills I’ll need in the future.

Who are some of the people on campus who have had the biggest impact on you during your time at SJU?

Do you have a nickname? If so, how did it come about? Jamo. Short for Jamison.

What is something people may not know about you? I have one kidney.

(Longtime SJU athletic department volunteer) Jim Platten. I like to shoot early in the morning and he is always there without question. He’s let me into the gym multiple times. He also comes to our games and I often sit with him at Sunday Mass.

JOHNSON

LIEN

BEAN

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2026-27

Saint John’s Basketball

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coaching staff PAT MCKENZIE ENTERS HIS 12TH season as the head coach of the Saint John’s University basketball team in 2026-27. The 2004 SJU graduate became the 15th coach in the 113-year history of Johnnie basketball when he was hired to replace Jim Smith in April 2015. Smith, the winningest coach at any level in Minnesota college basketball history, retired following the 2014-15 season after coaching the Johnnies for 51 seasons.

PAT MCKENZIE HEAD COACH 12th SEASON as head coach

McKenzie was one of his players. As a point guard at SJU from 2000 to ’04, he recorded 305 career assists, which ranks seventh in program history. He was part of an NCAA Division III Sweet 16 team as a freshman in 2000-01 and led the MIAC in assists as a senior in 2003-04.

I Wisconsin-Green Bay from 2004 to ’06 before returning to Collegeville, where he spent nine seasons as an assistant on Smith’s staff from 2006 to ’15. In his tenure as the Johnnies’ head coach, McKenzie has compiled a record of 215-69 (.757 winning percentage) and has led SJU to five conference championships and five appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament. His teams have appeared in the MIAC title game in six of the past seven seasons and have made the conference playoffs 14-straight times.

He then went on to serve two seasons as director of basketball operations at Division

He has been named MIAC coach of the year three times – in 2017-18, 2021-22 and 2023-24.

KEGAN

DESMOND

POLK

HEIDERSCHEIDT ASSISTANT COACH 1st SEASON on coaching staff

Heiderscheidt is in his first season as an assistant basketball coach at Saint John’s in 2026-27. He served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Bethany Lutheran College, in 2025-26, helping the Vikings to a UMAC Playoff Championship in 2026 and an NCAA Division III tournament appearance. He helped coach a UMAC Rookie of the Year and three All-UMAC players. As a student-athlete, Heiderscheidt began his basketball career at Division II Southwest Minnesota State before transferring to BLC in January 2023. He played in 63 games for the Vikings in three seasons, averaging 3.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists at guard before graduating with his degree in business (finance) in 2025.

During the 2019-20 season, he led the Johnnies to a 27-2 record and two NCAA tournament wins before the season was halted as a result of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. His family connections to SJU basketball run deep. His father, Pat McKenzie Sr. ’79, was a point guard on four nationaltournament teams at SJU from 1975 to ’79 before going on to become the longtime team physician of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. His younger brother, Kevin ’14, also played point guard for the Johnnies from 2010 to ’14. McKenzie and his wife, Jillian, (CSB ’09) reside in Sartell and have two daughters, Evelyn and Margaret, and a son, Patrick.

JERRY

FOGARTY

ASSISTANT COACH

1st SEASON on coaching staff

27th SEASON on coaching staff

Polk is in his first season as an assistant basketball coach at Saint John’s in 2026-27. A 2025 graduate of Division I Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Polk most recently played with the Windsor Express, a professional team based in Windsor, Ontario, and a member of the Basketball Super League (BSL). With the Express, Polk averaged 7.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent in 28 games. As a student-athlete, Polk played in 144 games for the Cougars from 2020 to ’25. His 144 games ranks second in the Cougar record book all-time. He totaled 582 points and 87 three-pointers (19th all-time). He started all 34 games of his final season and averaged a career-best 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He helped his team to an Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Tournament Championship and the NCAA Tournament in 2025.

Fogarty is in his 27th season as an assistant coach at SJU in 2026-27. A 1964 graduate of St. Thomas, Fogarty played basketball for the Tommies and became a basketball assistant at Rochester Lourdes High School after earning his degree. In 1969, he became the school’s head coach and guided Lourdes to a state independent crown in 1973. He was inducted into the Lourdes Sports Hall of Fame in December 2009. Fogarty and his wife, Becki, live in Avon. They have three children.

Additional Coaching Staff Lucas Walford ’20................................ Assistant Coach Walford is in his third season as an assistant at SJU in 2026-27. In three seasons as a Jonnnie, Walford managed to become the program’s alltime leader in blocked shots (131) and recorded 26 double-doubles, the program’s second-most since 1983-84. The 6-foot-8 post graduated from SJU in 2020 and fell 26 points shy of 1,000 for his career, including 104 points in 31 games as a freshman (2016-17) at Division I Augustana University (S.D.). He was a two-time All-MIAC second-team selection and was named to the MIAC All-Defensive team three times.

2026-27

Saint John’s Basketball

Jubie Alade ’20.................................... Assistant Coach Alade is in his season as an assistant coach on the Johnnie basketball coaching staff in 2026-27. The Robbinsdale Armstrong High School graduate – who finished his SJU career with 1,418 points, which ranks sixth-most in program history – was named the MIAC Player of the Year in his senior season (2019-20). That year, he averaged a team-best 18.7 points per game as the Johnnies finished 27-2, captured the MIAC regular and postseason titles and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III tournament before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought their magical run to a premature close. He was also an All-Region first-team selection, the 2018 MIAC Sixth Man of the Year and one of five players on the 2017 MIAC All-Freshman team.

Good friends, fierce competitors:

Roommates McCleery and Hillesheim push each other to get better every practice

A.J. McCleery and Vincent Hillesheim are good friends – have been since each arrived in Collegeville as freshmen in the fall of 2023. They room together with fellow senior Jamison Lien and get along swimmingly around the house. On the practice court, though, they acknowledge things can get a little heated at times. “Vinny and I go at each other sometimes because we’re both pretty competitive guys,” said McCleery, a 6-foot-2 guard. “The good thing is, once we step off the court, that disappears. We have a great relationship, which is what makes that possible. “There are times he’ll say something to get you going. But that’s actually what makes him a great captain. He knows how to get you in the right mindset to want to compete.” “We can get under each other’s skin,” added Hillesheim, a 6-5 post. “But he pushes me and I push him. We make each other better players.” The results showed on the court a year ago when Hillesheim stepped into a starting role, averaging 22.1 minutes of action and 8.1 points per game. He was one of a number of players who stepped into expanded roles on a team that graduated eight of its top nine scorers yet still managed to finish 16-11 overall and advanced to the MIAC Championship Game. But while the Johnnies exceeded external expectations, both Hillesheim and McCleery, who also saw action in a handful of games, said internally players came away feeling less than satisfied. “Everyone looks at last year and sees an outcome that was better than they expected,” Hillesheim said. “But our expectations of ourselves were a lot higher. We look at 16-11 and see places where we fell short. There were a number of games we felt like we should have come out on top.

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“That’s something that helps motivate us coming into this season.” In a way, Hillesheim’s performance last season mirrors his prep career at Hopkins High School, where he also broke into the starting lineup as a junior. “I really wasn’t a very good player as a freshman and sophomore in high school,” he said. “I had to fight just to get onto the team. It wasn’t until I was a junior and senior that things really started coming together. “Coach (Ken) Novak spent time making me better. I pride myself on being a coachable kid and a deep learner, and he really inspired me. When I got the chance, I rose to the occasion. The same thing happened here. We had guys leave and I saw an opportunity. I worked hard and I was able to take advantage of it.” Both McCleery and Hillesheim come from families with deep connections to college

“We can get under each other’s skin. But he pushes me and I push him. We make each other better players.” – Vincent Hillesheim

athletics. Hillesheim’s father, David, was an All-American defensive end at the University of North Dakota in the early to mid-1990s. “His dad is still jacked today,” McCleery noted with a laugh. “You look at him and it’s pretty amazing.” His younger sister Lauren, meanwhile, is now a sophomore guard on the UND women’s basketball team. “We used to play basketball in the driveway and we’d always get after it,” Hillesheim recalled. “She got her

“Vinny and I go at each other sometimes because we’re both pretty competitive guys. The good thing is, once we step off the court, that disappears. We have a great relationship, which is what makes that possible.” – A.J. McCleery buckets off me. There were times I let her shoot and she made me pay for it.” McCleery’s mother, Heather, meanwhile, ran both cross country and track-and-field at Division I Army. She met her husband Andy (a high school football, basketball and baseball standout) at West Point. McCleery’s sister Rachael is also a 2024 Army graduate while youngest sister Allison is a sophomore defender on the women’s soccer team at Division I Northern Iowa. “It’s funny because my older sister and I were always way more competitive about academics,” said McCleery, a Mahtomedi graduate who was accepted at West Point himself, but elected to enroll at SJU. “My younger sister and I were more competitive about athletics. “But we all pushed each other to be better.”

2026-27

Saint John’s Basketball

That’s the same role McCleery, Hillesheim and the rest of this year’s senior class plan to play this season as the Johnnies take aim at an MIAC title. “Winning a conference title is every team’s goal,” said McCleery, a finance major with a minor in Spanish. “But it takes hard work to get there. We have to give 110 percent every day in practice. We can’t let up.” It’s an approach both players have been taking with each other for a while now. “We’re two guys who like to go to battle every day,” said Hillesheim, a finance major who started his own landscaping business this past summer. “But the second we step off the court, that’s over. We give each other all we have in as many drills as we can. Then we flick that switch off, go back to our place, watch TV and start having fun with each other again.”

PRESENTED BY

meet the players 0

BAIDEN BEAN Sr.

6-1

175

FARMINGTON, MINN./FARMINGTON

2025-26: Played all 27 games, with 18 starts…led the MIAC (league games only) in assists (93), was second in assist/ turnover ratio (+3.10) and fourth in steals (27)…registered 149 assists overall, the fourth-most in SJU history…averaged 8.6 points, 2.7 assists, and 5.5 assists in 26.8 minutes per game…shot 43.9 percent (87-198) from the floor and 36.3 percent (29-80) from three-point range…All-MIAC honorable mention. 2024-25: Played 18 games off the bench…averaged 3.8 minutes per contest. 2023-24: Appeared in eight games off the bench…averaged 5.6 minutes per game. Personal: A 2023 graduate of Farmington High School…coached by Tharen Johnson…global business leadership major…son of Trenton and Heather Bean of Farmington, Minn…father played basketball at Valley City State (N.D.).

VINCENT HILLESHEIM

Sr.

6-6

235

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN./HOPKINS

2025-26: Started all 27 games…averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game…shot 70.4 percent (95-135) from the floor…did not miss a shot – going 11-for-11 from the field – with a team-best 6.5 rebounds in the MIAC playoffs…led the MIAC in shooting percentage (.675/56-for-83) and posted a team-best 6.1 rebounds in conference play…MIAC All-Playoff Team. 2024-25: Appeared in 14 games off the bench…averaged 1.1 points in 3.6 minutes per game. 2023-24: Played 10 games off the bench…averaged 7.1 minutes per game and shot 44.4 percent from the floor (8-18). Personal: A 2023 graduate of Hopkins High School…coached by Ken Novak…finance major…son of David and Renee Hillesheim of Minneapolis, Minn…father played football at North Dakota.

KYLE JOHNSON

Sr.

6-2

190

PRIOR LAKE, MINN./DELASALLE

2025-26: Started six games…shot 44.4 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from three-point range…averaged 15.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25.8 minutes per game…missed the remainder of the season due to injury. 2024-25: Played all 29 games, with two starts…shot 40.1 percent (81-202) from the floor and 39.1 percent (50-128) from three-point range…averaged 8.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game…College Sports Communicators Academic All-District…Academic All-MIAC. 2023-24: Appeared in 25 games off the bench…shot 42.0 percent (63-150) from the floor and 37.5 percent (36-96) from three-point range… averaged 7.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game…College Sports Communicators Academic All-District…Academic All-MIAC. 2022-23: Played 22 games off the bench for SJU…shot 44.4 percent (24-54) from the floor and 42.5 percent (17-40) from three-point range… averaged 3.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game. Personal: A 2022 graduate of DeLaSalle High School…coached by Travis Bledsoe…psychology major…younger brother, Justin, is a junior on the SJU basketball team…son of Joe and Tina Johnson of Prior Lake, Minn.

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PRESENTED BY

meet the players 24

JAMISON LIEN

Sr.

6-4

205

PRIOR LAKE, MINN./PRIOR LAKE

2025-26: Played all 27 games off the bench…shot 66.7 percent (80-120) from the floor…averaged 6.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per contest. Personal: A 2023 graduate of Prior Lake High School…coached by John Miller…played basketball and graduated from Rochester Community and Technical College…exercise and health science major…son of James Lien and Sara Swanson of Prior Lake, Minn.

A.J. McCLEERY Sr.

6-2

195

MAHTOMEDI, MINN./MAHTOMEDI

2025-26: Appeared in six games…Academic All-MIAC. 2024-25: Played 14 games off the bench…averaged 1.0 points in 3.5 minutes per game…Academic All-MIAC. 2023-24: Appeared in five games. Personal: A 2023 graduate of Mahtomedi High School…coached by Keith Newman… finance major…son of Andy and Heather McCleery of Mahtomedi, Minn…mother ran cross country and track at West Point.

JUSTIN JOHNSON

Jr.

6-2

180

PRIOR LAKE, MINN./DELASALLE

2025-26: Played 24 games with one start…shot 38.9 percent from the floor (49-126) and 34.1 percent (31-91) from threepoint range…averaged 6.5 points in 14.1 minutes per contest. 2024-25: Appeared in five games…averaged 2.2 points in 3.6 minutes per contest. Personal: A 2024 graduate of DeLaSalle High School…coached by Todd Anderson…finance major…older brother, Kyle, is a senior on the SJU basketball team…son of Joe and Tina Johnson of Prior Lake, Minn.

LIAM FARNIOK

Jr.

6-3

205

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN./SOUTHWEST

2025-26: Appeared in all 27 games with 20 starts…averaged 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 24.3 minutes per game…College Sports Communicators Academic All-District. 2024:25: Appeared in 17 games…averaged 3.8 minutes per contest. Personal: A 2024 graduate of Minneapolis Southwest High School…coached by Keenan Shelton…accounting major… son of Maren Bassett and Bill Farniok.

TOMMY AUGE So.

6-11

225

SHAKOPEE, MINN./SHAKOPEE

2025-26: Appeared in 13 games…averaged 4.0 minutes per contest. Personal: A 2025 graduate of Shakopee High School…coached by Jake Dammann…finance major…son of Tim and Julie Auge of Shakopee, Minn.

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Saint John’s Basketball

PRESENTED BY

meet the players 10

PEYTON PODANY

So.

6-3

210

ANOKA, MINN./ANOKA

2025-26: Started all 27 games…shot 49 percent (148-302) from the floor and 41.5 percent (66-159) from three-point range…led the Johnnies in scoring (15.0 ppg.), rebounding (5.8 rpg.) and three-pointers (66), while adding 2.5 assists per contest in 27.2 minutes per game…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…had nine games of 20 points or more…three double-doubles…All-MIAC First Team…MIAC AllPlayoff Team. Personal: A 2025 graduate of Anoka High School…coached by Jesse Jefferson…global business leadership major…son of Cory and Jill Podany of Anoka, Minn.

HENRY TSCHETTER

So.

6-4

205

STEWARTVILLE, MINN./STEWARTVILLE

2025-26: Started 25 games…shot 51.5 percent (70-136) from the floor…averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game…Academic All-MIAC…College Sports Communicators Academic All-District. 2024-25: Appeared in five games…averaged 1.4 points in 2.8 minutes per game…qualified for a medical hardship waiver. Personal: A 2024 graduate of Stewartville High School…coached by Parker Iyga…economics major…son of Kasey Morlock and Garth Tschetter of Stewartville, Minn…father played football at North Dakota State…mother played basketball at North Dakota State, where she was a three-time All-American and is the Bison’s all-time leading scorer… older brother, Will, played basketball at Division I Michigan.

HUDSON HOCHSTEDLER So. G 6-3 185

MONTICELLO, MINN./ ST. MICHAEL-ALBERTVILLE

2025-26: Appeared in 26 games with three starts…averaged 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game. Personal: A 2025 graduate of St. Michael-Albertville High School…coached by Jeff Oseth…finance major…son of Tim and Malissa Hochstedler of Monticello, Minn.

EVAN WEICHERT So.

6-5

210

NEW PRAGUE, MINN./NEW PRAGUE

2025-26: Appeared in 17 games…shot 46.9 percent (23-49) from the floor…averaged 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game. Personal: A 2025 graduate of New Prague High School…coached by Dan Peterka…accounting major…son of Brennen and Jennifer Weichert of New Prague, Minn.

DEONTE MEEKS So.

5-6

130

MAYWOOD, ILL./FENWICK

2025-26: Appeared in two games as a freshman. Personal: A 2025 graduate of Fenwick (Ill.) High School…coached by David Ferguson…accounting major…son of Danielle Barnes and Martin Taylor.

McGough wishes the SJU JOHNNIES good luck this season! www.mcgough.com

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meet the players BRAYDEN GUETTER

BRETT SIROIN

Fr P 6-7 205

Fr.

WABASSO, MINN./WABASSO

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN./ST. ANTHONY VILLAGE

Personal: A 2026 graduate of Wabasso High School…coached by Scott Leopold… economics major…son of Karl and Dawn Guetter of Wabasso, Minn…older sister, Chelsea (CSB ’18) played basketball for the Bennies…another older sister, Madison, played volleyball at Division II Augustana (S.D.).

Personal: A 2026 graduate of St. Anthony Village High School…coached by Josh Pratt… undecided major…son of Molly and AJ Siroin of Minneapolis, Minn.

ELI MOSEMAN

11 Fr. G

6-1 200

ST. PAUL, MINN./CENTRAL Personal: A 2026 graduate of St. Paul Central High School…coached by Cameron Jones… global business leadership major…son of Bart and Carrie Moseman of St. Paul, Minn.

LEXYN GROF G 6-3 175

JORDAN, MINN./HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC

GAVIN RODERICK Fr. W 6 -4 205 35

BLAKE RISLER

ALEXANDRIA, MINN./ALEXANDRIA

EAU CLAIRE, WIS./REGIS

33 Fr.

Personal: A 2026 graduate of Holy Family Catholic High School…coached by Joe Burger…global business leadership major.

Fr. G 6-3 195 Personal: A 2026 graduate of Eau Claire (Wis.) Regis High School…coached by Connor Miller…finance major…son of Randy and Mandi Risler of Eau Claire, Wis.

CARTER BRENDEN W 6-5 195

Personal: A 2026 graduate of Roseville Area High School…coached by Tom Critchley… finance major…son of Scott and Heather Brenden of St. Paul, Minn…mother played tennis at CSB.

PARKER JACOBSON

Personal: A 2026 graduate of Washburn (N.D.) High School…coached by Josh Sharp…finance major…son of Keith and Suzy Jacobson of Washburn, N.D.

32 Fr.

ST. PAUL, MINN./ROSEVILLE AREA

Fr. G 6-3 175

WASHBURN, N.D./WASHBURN

W 6-5 201

Deanna Roderick.

Personal: A 2026 graduate of Alexandria High School…coached by Forrest Witt… global business leadership major…son of

CALVIN PETERSON

Fr. G 6-2 200

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN./ROOSEVELT Personal: A 2026 graduate of Minneapolis Roosevelt High School…coached by Donnie Groce…finance major…son of Ryan and Kristine Peterson of Minneapolis, Minn.

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2026-27

Saint John’s Basketball

record book 1,000-point club

Individual Records

1. 2,357 – Frank Wachlarowicz (1979) **stood as the Minnesota all-divisions collegiate record until 2019

Most Points – Career: 2,357 – Frank Wachlarowicz (1975-79)

1,680 – Ryan Thissen (2020-25)

Most Points – Season: 640 – Frank Wachlarowicz (1978-79)

1,581 – Dick Matchinsky (1957)

1,568 – Troy Bigalke (2001)

Most Points – Game: 49 – Bill Sexton (1954)

1,492 – David Stokman (2019)

1,480 – Bill Sexton (1955)

Most Rebounds – Career: 1,093 – Frank

1,418 – Jubie Alade (2020)

1,413 – Paul Bernabei (1969)

1,406 – Norb Kowalkowski (1959)

10. 1,389 – Bernie Kukar (1962) 11.

1,349 – Tyler Weiss (2018)

12. 1,344 – Craig Muyres (1964) 13. 1,314 – Mike Nester (2002) 14. 1,302 – Alex Schmitt (2016) 15. 1,274 – Mitchell Kuck (2016) 16. 1,265 – Kooper Vaughn (2021-25) 17.

1,238 – Paul Henrichs (2006)

18. 1,217 – Tom Grudnowski (1972) 19. 1,168 – Zach Hanson (2021)* 20. 1,166 – Tom Melancon (1968) 21. 1,164 – Bill Christopherson (1953) 22. 1,153 – Aaron Burtzel (2011) 23. 1,136 – Darrick Buettner (1991) 24. 1,131 – Josh Cherry (1996) 25. 1,129 – John Eisenschenk (1981) 26. 1,121 – Matt Ohme (2007) 27. 1,113 – Joe Deignan (1995)

Wachlarowicz (1975-79) Most Rebounds – Season: 375 – Mel Kohorst (1961-62) Most Rebounds – Game: 33 – Mel Kohorst (1962) Most 3FG – Career: 266 – David Stokman (2015-19) Most 3FG – Season: 86 – David Stokman (2015-19)

WACHLAROWICZ

BIGALKE

Most 3FG – Game: 11 – Kooper Vaughn vs. St. Scholastica (2/3/24)/Larry Bassett at Macalester (2/12/92) Most FTs – Career: 565 – Frank Wachlarowicz Most FTs – Season: 162 – Frank Wachlarowicz

(1975-79)

(1977-78)

Most FTs – Game: 18 – Bill Christopherson (1950) Best FG% – Season: 76.6 – Travis Weiss (1993-94) ** NCAA All-Divisions Record until 2008-09

28. 1,106 – John Wiehoff (1984) 29. 1,099 – Kevin Buth (2003)

Team Records

30. 1,093 – Luke Witt (2002)

Most Points – Season: 2,448 (1977-78)

31. 1,080 – Eric Kohorst (1993) 32. 1,079 – Tim Muller (1971) 33. 1,072 – Larry Bassett (1992) 34. 1,068 – Andy Burns (2012) 35. 1,065 – Kevin Coleman (1972) 36. 1,057 – Ryan Lieser (2008) 37. 1,044 – Mark Lenss (1978) 38. 1,042 – Steve Ward (1975) 39. 1,025 – Kipp Christianson (1997)

Most Points – Game: 133 vs. Macalester (1/17/18) Most Rebounds – Season: 1,341 (1961-62) Most Rebounds – Game: 60 vs. Macalester (1995) Most 3FG – Season: 263 (2017-18) Most 3FG – Game: 21 vs. St. Scholastica (2/3/24)

40. 1,018 – Nate Guetter (1999)

Most FTs – Season: 561 (1977-78)

41.

Best FG% – Season: 54.6 (1978-79)

1,015 – Corey Jackson (1996)

*graduated in 2021 but played the 2021-22 season thanks to the NCAA-granted extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic

ALADE

Best FT% – Season: 77.3 (2017-18) Best 3FG% – Season: 42.3 (2017-18) Best Record – Season: 27-2 (2019-20) Most Wins – Season: 27 (1978-79, 2019-20) Best Winning %: .931 (2019-20)

20 GoJohnnies.com

THISSEN

PRESENTED BY

last season in pictures

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2026-27

Saint John’s Basketball

Here, Your Sport Doesn’t Define You – It Amplifies You

Athletics at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s isn’t just stats and PRs. It’s self-discipline and perseverance and time management and friendships for a lifetime. It’s a part of the path you and your teammates will walk together as you each make your unique True North Journey.

Are you ready to compete as a Bennie or a Johnnie? Come take a closer look – schedule a campus visit today!

PRESENTED BY

seeing the world through basketball

expanding horizons through trips abroad International travel a big part of SJU basketball experience Longtime former SJU head basketball coach Jim Smith believed the Johnnie basketball experience shouldn’t be just about growth on the court. He wanted to expand his players’ horizons off it as well. Which is why in 1976, he took his team behind the Iron Curtain to play in Poland – marking the first time several of them had ever traveled by air, and the first time most of them had been outside the U.S.

“International trips have been a transformative experience for many years and continue to be for the current group of SJU basketball players,” head coach Pat McKenzie said. “We want all our players and managers to be able to have this experience.”

Here is a full look at all the international trips the Johnnies have undertaken. • 1976 – Poland • 1979 – Germany-Austria • 1981 – England • 1983 – Yugoslavia • 1985 – Austria-Germany • 1987 – China

It started a tradition of international travel in the program that continues to this day – efforts bolstered by the Jerry Fogarty International Travel Endowment. Named after longtime assistant coach Jerry Fogarty – who begins his 27h season on staff in 2026-27 – the endowment is part of the Jim Smith Leadership Fund founded by a group of 20 SJU alumni and friends in 2020.

• 1989 – Switzerland

It provides scholarships to help make the international trip experience possible for players in need of assistance.

• 2007 – Greece

In recent years, the Johnnies have made summer trips to Germany (2016), Italy (2019) and Greece (2023). In the summer of 2026, the team traveled to Germany and the Czech Republic, playing games against local competition and becoming immersed in other cultures.

• 1991 – Brazil • 1993 – France • 1995 – Ireland • 1998 – Italy • 2001 – Spain-French Riviera • 2004 – China

• 2010 – Italy • 2013 – Spain • 2016 – Germany • 2019 – Italy • 2023 – Greece •

2026 – Germany / Czech Republic

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2026-27

Saint John’s Basketball

tradition unrivaled On-court accomplishments among the nation’s elite

ALL-AMERICAN HONORS

MIAC MVPS OR OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIPS

ACADEMIC ALLAMERICAN HONORS

MIAC TITLES

NATIONAL TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES 24 GoJohnnies.com

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PRESENTED BY

johnnies as miac champions

1986 HEAD COACH: JIM SMITH 1969 HEAD COACH: JIM SMITH

1979 HEAD COACH: JIM SMITH

1993 HEAD COACH: JIM SMITH

2001 HEAD COACH: JIM SMITH

2018 HEAD COACH: PAT McKENZIE

MIAC Playoff Champions

MIAC Regular-Season Champions

1985, 1986, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2025

1969, 1978, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1993, 2001, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025

2022 HEAD COACH: PAT McKENZIE

2025 HEAD COACH: PAT McKENZIE

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joining a brother, finding a brotherhood

Justin Johnson excelling on and off court at SJU There are many reasons Justin

Johnson was drawn to Saint John’s University. The community feel on campus, the opportunity to explore and strengthen his Catholic faith, the Johnnie alumni network and the opportunities for future success it helps provide. But perhaps the biggest draw: his older brother Kyle. Justin, now a junior, had the chance to play on the same basketball team as Kyle for a time at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis. But the chance to do it again at the college level was a huge pull. “That was important to me,” Justin said. “We actually didn’t get to play too much together on the court in high school because he was a senior when I was a sophomore. But we did get to be on the same team and I wanted the chance to do that again. “I’d been up here a few times because Kyle was here. I got to know his friends. The campus felt like a second home to me. So it was a natural fit.” Justin saw action in five games as a freshman in 2024-25, the same season in which Kyle averaged 8.3 points-pergame while helping lead the Johnnies to a 25-4 record and a berth in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. That playing time increased last year when Justin appeared in 24 games and averaged 6.5 points-per-game off the bench. But Kyle only saw action in six before an injury brought his season to a premature close. He’s back this season on a medical redshirt, though, giving the two brothers one last time to share the court. “We’re pretty close,” Justin said. “We spent a lot of time together growing up. He hasn’t just been a family member to me; he’s been a best friend. He’s helped me adapt to life in college, school-wise and in basketball.” A finance major who is leaning toward pursuing a career in financial advising,

28 GoJohnnies.com

Justin has also gotten involved in the campus community by serving as a resident advisor in the dorms the past two years. “I had two RAs my freshman year and they both really helped me transition into college life,” Justin said. “One of them was my brother. But they both made a big difference to me and I wanted to do the same for others.” But Justin said making his SJU experience possible would have been far more difficult without the help scholarships provide. He currently receives the Rogers Family Endowed Scholarship, the B.J. Meixner Scholarship, the Clan of Sherm and Edith Jacobs Endowed Scholarship, a legacy scholarship and an academic achievement scholarship. “Scholarships help relieve some of the financial stress you face as a student and allow you to focus on applying yourself in the classroom and athletics,” he said.

“It’s a generous helping hand that not only helps me stay enrolled but motivates me to do my best. Knowing people care about students like me and hope we have the same great experience they did is something I really value. I hope one day in the future, I’m able to give back in that way as well.”

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featured flashback

Ohme’s milestones headed list of memorable moments for SJU in 2006-07 John’s featured more than its share of highlights.

finished his career as the program’s all-time leader in assists with 367 (a record that has since been broken by Aaron Burtzel ’11).

The Johnnies finished 21-8 that season, advanced to the MIAC championship game and beat Loras (Iowa) 85-82 in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament.

Ohme crossed the 1,000-point mark when he scored a team-best 19 to help the Johnnies rally to defeat Concordia on Jan. 20, 2007, in Moorhead.

Three players on that team earned AllMIAC honors: senior wings Tyler Westman, who led SJU in scoring with an average of 13.9 points per game, and Ryan Lieser, who averaged 13.3, as well as senior center Craig Schafer, who averaged 12.3 points and a team-best 7.1 rebounds per contest.

“He did it in a great spot,” then-head coach Jim Smith told the St. Cloud Times afterward. “His brother went to Concordia, so that was nice. I didn’t think about the milestone until I saw his brother walking around with the game ball afterward.

The 2006-07 season at Saint

But the biggest milestones of all came from senior point guard Matt Ohme. Not only did the Bloomington Jefferson High School graduate become the 30th SJU player to cross the 1,000-point mark, but he also

“That’s fantastic for him. He played really well.” Ohme finished his career with 1,121 points, which still ranks 26th all-time at the school. The assists record, meanwhile, came in a 70-69 win at St. Olaf on Feb. 3. The Johnnies finished 17-3 in league play that year and earned the No. 2 seed in the conference playoffs. They beat Gustavus 87-65 at home in the semifinals – led by 13 points each from Lieser

30 GoJohnnies.com

and Schafer – before falling at St. Thomas in the title game. But the team still earned its first NCAA tournament bid since 2001 and knocked off Loras at home in the first round on a night when a snowstorm howled outside Sexton Arena. Westman finished with 31 points, including a clutch, off-balance 3-pointer with under four seconds to go in overtime. “I feel like that’s my role,” Westman told the Times afterward. “I don’t mind stepping up and taking the shot in those situations. If I miss it, I can accept it. But I like the responsibility.” The Johnnies season came to an end in round 2 – falling 93-76 at top-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point. But Ohme, who earned All-MIAC honorable mention distinction, finished his career with a 20-point, five-assist performance.

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jim & adrienne smith court at sexton arena

basketball facilities

Jim and Adrienne Smith Court at Sexton Arena is the home floor for the Saint John’s University basketball team. The facility is housed inside the Warner Palaestra, which opened in 1973 and serves as the primary recreation center for SJU students and faculty. A renovation in 1997 included a new wood floor and a dedication of the arena to Bill Sexton ’55, whose gift made the renovation possible. Sexton was one of the greatest basketball players in program history, rewriting the

32 GoJohnnies.com

record book during his time in Collegeville. His 1,480 points made him the school’s alltime scoring leader to that point, and the total still ranks sixth in school history. He was the Johnnie player to earn All-MIAC honors twice – in 1954 and 1955 – and he became the first Johnnie to be named an All-American when he was selected to the All-NAIA third team in 1954. In 2008, the court was redone thanks to the support of a group of former Johnnie basketball players – Sexton, Joe Mucha ’66, Michael Dady ’71, Tom Grudnowski

’72, Pat McKenzie ’79, Tim Kosiek ʼ80 and John Wiehoff ’84. The court itself was named in honor of legendary SJU head coach Jim Smith and his wife Adrienne while the arena remains named for Sexton. The first game played on the floor came on Dec. 9, 1973 when the Johnnies defeated crosstown rival St. Cloud State University, 67-58. Big crowds have been common over the years as SJU regularly ranks among the top programs in attendance at the NCAA Division III level.

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