On Saturday, the No. 5/6 St. John’s men’s basketball team will face off against No. 7/7 Michigan in their first exhibition game at Madison Square Garden. This matchup is part of the Bad Boy Mowers Series and is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Historic Exhibition Matchup
This exhibition marks the first time St. John’s will compete at Madison Square Garden, referred to as “The Mecca.” It will be the first of 14 guaranteed appearances for the Red Storm this season at the iconic venue. A preseason showdown between top-10 teams, this game features the defending conference tournament champions from both programs.
Ticket Information
- Tickets are available for purchase online.
- The game will be streamed via Big Ten+ for $8.99.
- Fans can watch on various platforms, including Roku and Apple TV.
Broadcast Details
Coverage of the game will include an audio broadcast on the LEARFIELD St. John’s Radio Network, featuring John Minko and Vin Parise. For viewers not able to attend, the game will also be available on the ESPN New York App, which can be downloaded from both the App Store and Google Play.
Team Achievements and Rankings
Earlier this week, St. John’s achieved an impressive milestone by ranking No. 6 in the USA TODAY Coaches Top 25 poll and No. 5 in the Associated Press rankings, both marking program highs for preseason standings. At the BIG EAST Media Day, the team was favored to defend its title as regular season champions, landing first in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches poll.
Player Accolades
St. John’s boasts five players on the Preseason All-BIG EAST teams. Zuby Ejiofor is the predicted BIG EAST Player of the Year. Other honored players include:
- Bryce Hopkins (First Team)
- Ian Jackson (Second Team)
- Joson Sanon (Third Team)
- Dillon Mitchell (Third Team)
This recognition highlights what is believed to be the most players from a single team earning all-conference honors in BIG EAST history.
Previous Performance
St. John’s completed an undefeated 12-0 season last year at Madison Square Garden, culminating in their first BIG EAST Tournament Championship in 25 years. In their prior exhibition matchup, St. John’s overcame a slow start to defeat Towson 73-63, with Bryce Hopkins leading the team with 13 points.
Michigan’s Background
The Wolverines, coached by Dusty May, enter this season ranked No. 7. Last year, they posted a 27-10 record and reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. In their first exhibition, Michigan narrowly lost to Cincinnati after rallying from a 20-point deficit.
Upcoming Season Outlook
Following the exhibition against Michigan, St. John’s will kick off the regular season on November 3, facing Quinnipiac at 6:30 p.m. on FS1.
