The Michigan basketball team has a loaded non-conference slate lined up for the upcoming season, and it will begin before the regular season even begins. The Wolverines announced on Tuesday that they will be heading to the Big Apple to take on Rick Pitino and St. John’s in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden on October 25th. It is part of the Bad Boy Mower Series.
“In collaboration with Complete Sports Management, the University of Michigan men's basketball program announced Tuesday (Sept. 2) that it will face St. John's in a preseason exhibition game at Madison Square Garden,” the Michigan basketball team said in a statement. “The matchup, part of the Bad Boy Mowers Series, is set for Saturday, Oct. 25, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The television broadcast details are to be determined.”
Michigan and St. John’s met up at Madison Square Garden back in 2023, and the Wolverines earned an impressive 89-73 victory. It looked like Michigan was going to go on to have a good year because of that performance, but it ended up being one of the worst seasons in program history.
After a disastrous 2023 season, Michigan moved on from Juwan Howard and hired Dusty May to replace him. In May’s first year, he led the Wolverines to a Big Ten Tournament title and a Sweet 16 appearance. Going into year two, Michigan is expected to be a national title contender.
The expectations for the Michigan basketball team are high ahead of the upcoming season, and the same goes for Rick Pitino and St. John’s. This game at Madison Square Garden won’t actually count for anything, but it will still be a cool matchup. When the season begins, Michigan will play a lot of marquee non-conference matchups as well. All in all, the Wolverines are going to be tested all year long.
