The Michigan men’s basketball team returned to the floor on Saturday night for the second and final exhibition game before head coach Dusty May and his squad head into regular season play for a highly-anticipated season.
The Wolverines played No. 5 St. John’s at Madison Square Garden, and the matchup was as advertised. After dropping the first game in the final seconds to Cincinnati a week ago, the Wolverines took the Red Storm to overtime and came away with a 96-94 win. Michigan looked a lot sharper on Saturday, with five players scoring in double-digits. That includes Yaxel Lendeborg, who led the way with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting.
Here are some takeaways from the exhibition win.
Injuries no more, welcome to the show
It was reported last Friday by our own Kellen Voss that Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara would not play against Cincinnati due to “minor” injuries. With another week of rest and recovery, Johnson and Mara made their debuts for Michigan on Saturday night, and their contributions heavily led to the win.
With Mara getting the start at center and Johnson coming off the bench as the sixth man, both went for double-figures. Mara went for 13 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Johnson put up 15 points and eight rebounds on 5-for-8 shooting.
Their contributions were not only focused on offense. Mara had two blocks that led to four transition points, and Johnson had the play of the day by securing a block in overtime on a three-point attempt and going the other way for a massive dunk.
It’s safe to say it is going to be a fun season with some new faces in Ann Arbor.
Yaxel Lendeborg took control of the contest from the jump, keeping Michigan at a comfortable distance from St. John’s and being the player everyone anticipated him being when he made the move from UAB to Michigan.
He started with knocking down a pair of threes to start the game, giving the Wolverines a five-point lead at the first timeout. He then made some big plays in key moments in the second half, starting with a dunk to help Michigan take its first lead of the half. He scored six buckets in seven minutes to keep the Wolverines tied as the Red Storm attempted to pull away late in the half, and then pulled down a clutch rebound to secure a double-double and keep possession with St. John’s hunting in the final minute of overtime.
Lendeborg finished with a team-high 25 points to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists.
Turnovers are still a problem
Michigan is still not beating any of the turnover allegations after another high-turnover performance. Similar to the Cincinnati game, Michigan turned it over at way too high of a rate in the first half, including four turnovers in one minute in the first half.
The Wolverines finished with 22 turnovers that led to 22 St. John’s points. It is concerning the same issues from last year are still looming over its head to start the 2025-26 season, but there is plenty of time to get it sorted before it starts becoming a systemic problem.
Michigan speed leading to fast-breaks
It was said last week that Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau was going to be a game-changer for the Wolverines’ offense thanks to his speed, getting downhill to the rim, utilizing the pick-and-roll and taking advantage of fast-break opportunities. On Saturday night, those same positives were apparent, as he finished with nine points and nine assists.
The Wolverines have a lot of athletic big men that can run the floor, and Cadeau has a knack for keeping his head up and looking for the extra pass to lead to an easy bucket. If Michigan can continue to play fast when it wants to, it has the ability to force opponents to constantly sit on their heels.
Hard fought battle in the paint
The Red Storm are a pre-season Top-5 team for a reason, and it was a slugfest in the paint between the two juggernauts. St. John’s trotted out Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins, and the trio combined for 50 points and 23 rebounds.
Ejiofor finished with 24 points, six boards and six assists, but Michigan outscored the Red Storm in the paint, 54-42, and answered the challenge inside. With size, strength and speed, Michigan proved it could stand up to the challenge with anyone in the country, and it is very possible these two programs meet again in March.
At the end of the day, both of Michigan’s matchups against Cincinnati and St. John’s were exhibition games, and it was a learning experience for the coaches and players to work out the kinks before regular season play kicks off next week.
The Wolverines have shown in two big-time matchups they can score in any way on anyone. The glaring holes, however, are the number of turnovers given up and the amount of points scored on them. If Michigan can create a few more defensive stops and control the ball, there is no reason why this team shouldn’t be the best program in the country.
The Wolverines officially start their season on Monday, Nov. 3 at Crisler Center against Oakland, followed by rematches against Wake Forest and TCU before it gets to the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas. Strap in because it is going to be a wild and exhilarating ride with this team.
