Michigan’s second exhibition game was a better preview of what this team will look like when the season tips off. The Wolverines had their bigs back and battled through an overtime slugfest at Madison Square Garden against one of the best frontcourts in the country.
St. John’s trotted out Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins, and Michigan called on Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, and Morez Johnson Jr. to go head-to-head and slug it out for 45 minutes.
The result — a 96-94 Michigan win in overtime — won’t count in the record books, but the product on the floor was every bit as physical as most games that Michigan will play this year.
Ejiofor finished with 24 points, six boards, and six assists, and certainly got his, but Michigan outscored the Red Storm in the paint, 54-42, and answered the challenge inside.
It was an exhibition worthy of being played in front of 13,000 fans at Madison Square Garden, despite the fouls and turnovers, and an assurance that this newly assembled roster has teeth.
Yaxel Lendeborg, who was signed to St. John’s before Rick Pitino was hired and went in another direction, led Michigan with 25 points and 10 boards in 37 minutes, but was joined by four other Wolverines in double figures in the win.
Michigan’s not beating any of the turnover allegations after another turnover-happy performance. Similar to the Cincinnati game, Michigan turned it over a comical number of times in the first half — including four turnovers in one minute of game clock between 3 and 4 minutes of the first half.
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