UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. -- Cardinal men's basketball fans looking forward to action on the hardcourt can mark their calendars with three upcoming exhibition games that will take place in the James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena.
SVSU tips off the 2024-25 season by hosting Henry Ford College out of Detroit at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 24. The Hawks compete in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) and Region XII of the National Junior College Athletic Association, which last season ranked HFC No. 2 in the preseason Division II poll. HFC has established itself as one of the top Division II junior college programs in the country over the past several years, sending multiple players every year to four-year schools at the division I and II levels.
SVSU's next exhibition opponent will be Calvin University, an NCAA Division III school in Grand Rapids. The Knights visit O'Neill Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 30 for a 7:30 p.m. contest. CU is a perennial powerhouse in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, winning its second consecutive title last season with a 12-2 record (25-5 overall).
Completing the exhibition portion of the schedule for SVSU will be a Monday, Nov. 4 game against Rochester Christian University. RCU is preseason ranked 4th in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. The Warriors return four double-digit scorers who led the team to a sixth-place finish in the final 2023-24 conference regular-season standings with a 12-10 record.
SVSU Head Coach Randy Baruth enters his 13th season at the helm of the program, returning three all-league players from last season. Seniors Freddie McIntosh and Toodles Seal are the GLIAC's top returning scoring duo and were named second-team All-GLIAC last season and junior center Kevonne Taylor was an All-Defensive selection. Coach Baruth had this to say on the exhibition slate:
"We are very excited to get back in front of our home crowd and take on outside opponents after a long fall of going head to head in practices with ourselves. Each of these three teams will bring something unique to the table that we feel will help prepare us for our non-conference and GLIAC schedule. Henry Ford is always full of talent and thrives on transition offenses and creating up-tempo games. Calvin's coach has GLIAC experience and always has his team playing the right way with a motion-based offense and perimeter players who shoot the ball very well. Rochester is someone we have played in exhibitions before because we love how tough and well-coached they are. I think all three fan bases will travel well and should create great atmospheres for our opening games of the season!"
Admission to each contest is $5; SVSU is a cashless venue and enforces a clear-bag policy. Here is a link to purchase tickets in advance: https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/13940/svsu-athletic-complex
For more information on the SVSU men's basketball team, including the full 2024-25 season schedule, go to svsucardinals.com/sports/mbkb/2024-25/schedule.