Central Michigan University Athletics
Friday, October 24
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7:00 PM
Central Michigan University
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Saginaw Valley State (Exh.)
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Men's Basketball Hosts Saginaw Valley State for Friday Night Exhibition Game
10/23/2025 1:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Chippewas and Cardinals to tipoff at 7 p.m. at McGuirk Arena; CMU men’s basketball to host Alumni Game at 4 p.m.; Admission is free to both events.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—Fans will get their first glimpse of the 2025-26 Central Michigan men's basketball team when the Chippewas host Saginaw Valley State for an exhibition game on Friday at 7 p.m. at McGuirk Arena.
Prior to Friday night's exhibition game, the Chippewas will host an Alumni Game at 4 p.m. as over 20 former players, managers, and coaches are expected to attend. Admission is free for the exhibition game and Alumni Game.
Friday night marks the first chance for fans to view the 15-player Chippewa squad in action. It will also mark first-year Central Michigan head coach Andy Bronkema's public debut.
"I'm real excited about the upcoming season," Bronkema said. "The thing I'm looking forward to on Friday and our season opener on Nov. 3 is Mount Pleasant, the students, and the fans seeing a team. We have a true team, players that care about each other, players that make unselfish plays. I just know our fans will love cheering for that. It's a team that is going to win and lose together. It's going to be a team that they will want to cheer for and team that they'll see constant improvement with. They'll get a sneak peak with these first two games, they'll see growth as the season moves forward, they'll get to know these guys, they're approachable. I'm looking to everyone falling in love with this team."
"Before the game we have an alumni game, we have over 20 players coming back and get time to hear their stories. It's going to be an exciting day."
Bronkema welcomes 12 transfers including Phat Phat Brooks (Michigan), Rodney Johnson, Jr. (Tennessee Tech), Logan McIntire (Kentucky Wesleyan), Keenan Garner (IU-Indianapolis), Nick Mullen (IU-South Bend), Will Ashford (Purdue Northwest), Kayden Nation (Indian Hills C.C.), Wayne State transfers Tamario Adley and Kareem Aburashed, and Ferris State transfers Nathan Claerbaut, Jaxson Whitaker, and Jorden Brooks. Three true freshmen including Jalen Kampen, Uchenna Amene, and Nsikan Usen also join the roster.
Central Michigan is coming off a 2024-25 season that saw it finish 14-17 overall and tied for ninth place in the Mid-American Conference with a 7-11 record.
Bronkema was named the program's 22nd head men's basketball coach on April 14, 2025. He has assembled a staff consisting of Associate Head Coach Brooks Miller, assistant coaches Jim Lake and Raymoan McAfee, Director of Player Development Josh Fleming, and Director of Operations Jimmy Booth.
Saginaw Valley State head coach Chris Fowler is former Central Michigan player and 2016 graduate. A three-time All-MAC honoree and two-time First Team All-MAC selection in 2015 and 2016, Fowler was the first Central Michigan basketball player in school history to amass 1,000 career points, 500 assists, 250 rebounds and 150 steals. He concluded his four-year career from 2012-16 with 1,736 points, 686 assists, and 185 steals, and converted 475 of 680 free throws. In 2015, he helped guide Central Michigan to the MAC West Championship with a 23-9 overall record and 12-6 league record, and went on to earn first-team All-MAC ,Academic All-MAC, and was a finalist for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award, and MAC Player of the Year awards. He is the only Chippewa player to earn National Association of Basketball Coaches first-team all-district designation – and he did it twice. Fowler still holds CMU career records for assists (686), free-throw attempts (680), and made free throws (475), and is third all-time with 185 steals. As a freshman in 2012-13, he was selected team captain, started all 31 games and was the MAC Freshman of the Year runner-up.
After graduating from Central Michigan with a bachelor's degree in arts in theater and interpretation, he played professionally in Germany's Pro A league, Australia's former Queensland Basketball League and with the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Mad Ants in the NBA G-League.
Saginaw Valley State was picked to finish eighth out of 11 teams in the 2025-26 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason poll yesterday. The Cardinals finished 10-18 overall and 6-14 in the GLIAC last year.
Central Michigan opens its regular season at home on Monday, Nov. 3 when it hosts Appalachian State in the MAC-SBC Challenge. The season opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. at McGuirk Arena and will be broadcast on ESPN+. The Chippewas will then hit the road for three straight games at Bradley (Saturday, Nov. 8) and two neutral site games in St. Petersburg, Fla. in the Showdown in St. Pete against South Alabama (Thursday, Nov. 13) and Coppin State (Friday, Nov. 14).
Central Michigan men's basketball season tickets are on sale now. Season tickets can be purchased at Ticket Central on www.cmuchippewas.com or renewed online at this link, or by calling the CMU Athletics Ticket Office at (989) 774-3045. Lock in your tickets now for the best seats at the best value.
Prior to Friday night's exhibition game, the Chippewas will host an Alumni Game at 4 p.m. as over 20 former players, managers, and coaches are expected to attend. Admission is free for the exhibition game and Alumni Game.
Friday night marks the first chance for fans to view the 15-player Chippewa squad in action. It will also mark first-year Central Michigan head coach Andy Bronkema's public debut.
"I'm real excited about the upcoming season," Bronkema said. "The thing I'm looking forward to on Friday and our season opener on Nov. 3 is Mount Pleasant, the students, and the fans seeing a team. We have a true team, players that care about each other, players that make unselfish plays. I just know our fans will love cheering for that. It's a team that is going to win and lose together. It's going to be a team that they will want to cheer for and team that they'll see constant improvement with. They'll get a sneak peak with these first two games, they'll see growth as the season moves forward, they'll get to know these guys, they're approachable. I'm looking to everyone falling in love with this team."
"Before the game we have an alumni game, we have over 20 players coming back and get time to hear their stories. It's going to be an exciting day."
Bronkema welcomes 12 transfers including Phat Phat Brooks (Michigan), Rodney Johnson, Jr. (Tennessee Tech), Logan McIntire (Kentucky Wesleyan), Keenan Garner (IU-Indianapolis), Nick Mullen (IU-South Bend), Will Ashford (Purdue Northwest), Kayden Nation (Indian Hills C.C.), Wayne State transfers Tamario Adley and Kareem Aburashed, and Ferris State transfers Nathan Claerbaut, Jaxson Whitaker, and Jorden Brooks. Three true freshmen including Jalen Kampen, Uchenna Amene, and Nsikan Usen also join the roster.
Central Michigan is coming off a 2024-25 season that saw it finish 14-17 overall and tied for ninth place in the Mid-American Conference with a 7-11 record.
Bronkema was named the program's 22nd head men's basketball coach on April 14, 2025. He has assembled a staff consisting of Associate Head Coach Brooks Miller, assistant coaches Jim Lake and Raymoan McAfee, Director of Player Development Josh Fleming, and Director of Operations Jimmy Booth.
Saginaw Valley State head coach Chris Fowler is former Central Michigan player and 2016 graduate. A three-time All-MAC honoree and two-time First Team All-MAC selection in 2015 and 2016, Fowler was the first Central Michigan basketball player in school history to amass 1,000 career points, 500 assists, 250 rebounds and 150 steals. He concluded his four-year career from 2012-16 with 1,736 points, 686 assists, and 185 steals, and converted 475 of 680 free throws. In 2015, he helped guide Central Michigan to the MAC West Championship with a 23-9 overall record and 12-6 league record, and went on to earn first-team All-MAC ,Academic All-MAC, and was a finalist for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award, and MAC Player of the Year awards. He is the only Chippewa player to earn National Association of Basketball Coaches first-team all-district designation – and he did it twice. Fowler still holds CMU career records for assists (686), free-throw attempts (680), and made free throws (475), and is third all-time with 185 steals. As a freshman in 2012-13, he was selected team captain, started all 31 games and was the MAC Freshman of the Year runner-up.
After graduating from Central Michigan with a bachelor's degree in arts in theater and interpretation, he played professionally in Germany's Pro A league, Australia's former Queensland Basketball League and with the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Mad Ants in the NBA G-League.
Saginaw Valley State was picked to finish eighth out of 11 teams in the 2025-26 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason poll yesterday. The Cardinals finished 10-18 overall and 6-14 in the GLIAC last year.
Central Michigan opens its regular season at home on Monday, Nov. 3 when it hosts Appalachian State in the MAC-SBC Challenge. The season opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. at McGuirk Arena and will be broadcast on ESPN+. The Chippewas will then hit the road for three straight games at Bradley (Saturday, Nov. 8) and two neutral site games in St. Petersburg, Fla. in the Showdown in St. Pete against South Alabama (Thursday, Nov. 13) and Coppin State (Friday, Nov. 14).
Central Michigan men's basketball season tickets are on sale now. Season tickets can be purchased at Ticket Central on www.cmuchippewas.com or renewed online at this link, or by calling the CMU Athletics Ticket Office at (989) 774-3045. Lock in your tickets now for the best seats at the best value.
—CMU—
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