The SLU Billikens are 28-5 this season and will be the No. 9 seed in the East Region for the NCAA Tournament, which begins nationwide next weekend. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
For the first time in seven seasons, the Saint Louis University men’s basketball team is headed back to the NCAA Tournament.
The Billikens found out officially they were invited to be a part of March Madness, Sunday night, when it was announced on the NCAA Tournament Selection Show that Saint Louis was the No. 9 seed in the East Region and it would be headed to Buffalo to play No. 8-seeded Georgia.
Saint Louis is 28-5 on the season and was the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season champion, before losing in the conference tournament semifinals on Saturday. Georgia is 22-10 and finished seventh in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs were upset by Ole Miss in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
SLU center Robbie Avila was the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year this season. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
SLU and Georgia will meet on Thursday night at 8:45 p.m., with the winner likely facing East Regional No. 1 seed and Big 10 regular season champion Michigan. The Wolverines, who lost in the Big 10 Tournament championship game to Purdue on Sunday, will play the winner of the No. 16 play-in game between UMBC and Howard.
The Billikens learned their postseason plans at a public gathering of players, coaches, administrators, and hundreds of fans during a Selection Sunday Watch Party at Chaifetz Arena.
The last time Saint Louis was in the NCAA Tournament was in 2019 when the Billikens won the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, as the six-seed, following a dramatic weekend run that saw SLU win four close games in four days.
2025-26 SLU BILLIKENS MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 3, 2025 (Monday) | 7 pm | Home | SEMO | Chaifetz Arena |  | W, 92-67 (1-0) |
| November 6, 2025 (Thursday) | 7 pm | Home | Chicago State | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 108-86 (2-0) |
| November 10, 2025 (Monday) | 7 pm | Home | Lindenwood | Chaifetz Arena |  | W, 109-66 (3-0) |
| November 15, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Grand Canyon | Chaifetz Arena |  | W, 78-64 (4-0) |
| November 21, 2025 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | Purdue-Fort Wayne | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 91-60 (5-0) |
| November 27, 2025 (Thursday) | 6 pm | Neutral | Santa Clara | Palm Desert, Calif. |  | W, 71-70 (6-0) |
| November 28, 2025 (Friday) | TBA | Neutral | Minnesota or Stanford | Palm Desert, Calif. |  | L, 78-77 (6-1) |
| December 2, 2025 (Tuesday) | 9 pm | Away | Loyola Marymount | Los Angeles, Calif. | | W, 91-70 (7-1) |
| December 7, 2025 (Sunday) | 2 pm | Home | Central Michigan | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 107-65 (8-1) |
| December 13, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | San Francisco | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 85-75 (9-1) |
| December 17, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | Bethune-Cookman | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 112-53 (10-1) |
| December 21, 2025 (Sunday) | 2 pm | Home | New Hampshire | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 93-79 (11-1)) |
| December 28, 2025 (Sunday) | 2 pm | Home | Principia | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 114-33 (12-1) |
| December 31, 2025 (Wednesday) | 3 pm | Home | Saint Joseph’s | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 102-79 (13-1) |
| January 7, 2026 (Wednesday) | 6 pm | Away | VCU | Richmond, Va. | | W, 71-62 (14-1) |
| January 10, 2026 (Saturday) | 3 pm | Away | La Salle | Philadelphia, Pa. |  | W, 84-72 (15-1) |
| January 14, 2026 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | Fordham | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 78-56 (16-1) |
| January 17, 2026 (Saturday) | 3 pm | Home | Richmond | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 88-63 (17-1) |
| January 20, 2026 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | Duquesne | Pittsburgh, Pa. | | W, 81-77 (18-1) |
| January 23, 2026 (Friday) | 4:30 pm | Away | St. Bonaventure | St. Bonaventure, N.Y. |  | W, 97-62 (19-1) |
| January 27, 2026 (Tuesday) | 7 pm | Home | George Washington | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 79-76 (20-1) |
| January 30, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | Dayton | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 102-71 (21-1) |
| February 3, 2026 (Tuesday) | 8 pm | Away | Davidson | Davidson, N.C. | | W, 91-82 (22-1) |
| February 7, 2026 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Home | La Salle | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 82-58 (23-1) |
| February 13, 2026 (Friday) | 7:30 pm | Away | Loyola Chicago | Chicago, Ill. | | W, 86-59 (24-1) |
| February 17, 2026 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | Rhode Island | Kingston, R.I. | | L, 81-76 (24-2) |
| February 20, 2026 (Friday) | 6 pm | Home | VCU | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 88-75 (25-2) |
| February 24, 2026 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | Dayton | Dayton, Ohio | | L, 77-62 (25-3) |
| February 28, 2026 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Duquesne | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 91-76 (26-3) |
| March 4, 2026 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | Loyola Chicago | Chaifetz Arena | | W, 91-76 (27-3) |
| March 7, 2026 (Saturday) | 3 pm | Away | George Mason | Fairfax, Va. | | L, 86-57 (27-4) |
| March 13, 2026 (Friday) | 10:30 am | Neutral | #9 George Washington | Pittsburgh, Pa. | | W, 88-81 (28-4) |
| March 14, 2026 (Saturday) | 12 pm | Neutral | #4 Dayton | Pittsburgh, Pa. | | L, 70-69 (28-5) |
| March 19, 2026 (Thursday) | 8:45 pm | Neutral | #8 Georgia | Buffalo, N.Y. |  |