Last season before winning their last nine Big Ten victories by four points or less.

Before narrow wins in the postseason over Maryland, Wisconsin, and UC San Diego,

Michigan had to endure some gut-wrenching losses.

Wake Forest on a slippery floor at the Greensboro Coliseum, Oklahoma on a four-point play in Charlotte, Minnesota

at the buzzer in the barn, and even at this location from Saturday night, Madison Square

Garden against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Now, this game different for a few reasons. Obviously,

one, Michigan got the victory, two, the game does not count. It was an

exhibition. But also it was different because this St. John's team feels better, probably

much better, than any of those teams who knocked off Michigan in narrow games. The Johnny's

are preseason favorites in the Big East after winning the league last year and getting to 31 victories. There are

final four expectations in New York, enthusiasms at an all-time high. There were a ton of people

at an exhibition on a Saturday night at MSG. Maybe Michigan is much better than they were last

year. I obviously will tell. Both teams, though, had a part,

a big part in making an exhibition feel big time. No doubt that the prestige of the arena and

the narrowness of the margin helped that, but this game felt much more important than an exhibition.

And while there be plenty discussed about Michigan's depth,

and it's obviously correct, the top-tier talent is there. When you have a young man like Yaxel

Lendaborg who posts another exhibition double-double, 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 37 tremendous

minutes. How about Mores Johnson Jr.? His block and coast-to-coast jam in the second half?

Adi Mara, like Mores, in his first game in the Maze and Blue against an opponent,

he had three dunks, made some big-time plays as he was getting back up to speed.

Mara played 24 minutes, and Mores played 22. You couple that, along with

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