What we learned from Michigan State’s win over Kentucky at Champions Classic

The No. 17 Michigan State Spartans took a commanding lead against the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats, closing out the first of two 2025 State Farm Champions Classic showdowns with an 83-66 win.

Men’s college basketball reporters Myron Medcalf and Jeff Borzello break down what the result means, plus what to watch between No. 5 Duke Blue Devils and No. 24 Kansas Jayhawks in the second game of Tuesday night’s event at Madison Square Garden.

Champions Classic takeaways

Final: Michigan State 83, Kentucky 66

How Michigan State won: Kentucky coach Mark Pope probably knew it would be a long night when sophomore guard Kur Teng (15 points) — who scored just 10 points over 55 minutes of playing time all of last season — hit an off-balanced shot with seconds to play in the first half. The buzzer shot capped a 30-10 Michigan State run that broke Kentucky’s will. Jaxon Kohler (20 points) outclassed Kentucky’s frontcourt, and the Spartans, who had shot 21.7% from 3-point range (352nd out of 365 Division I teams) entering the season, made 52% of those shots Tuesday night. Tom Izzo also managed to stall the Wildcats’ fast-paced offense (ranked eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency entering the night).

It was like watching a balloon slowly deflate as Izzo’s squad robbed Kentucky, a dangerous team in transition, of its greatest asset. Overall, Michigan State’s hot shooting, defensive strategy and toughness (Kentucky didn’t have an offensive rebound in the first 10 minutes) fueled the 17-point win. — Medcalf

What the loss means for Kentucky: Is something wrong with Kentucky? After last week’s loss to Louisville, Pope said something had happened with his team before the game, though refused to offer any details. Another lackluster performance will only lead to more speculation: Drama? A fight? Another major issue?

Kentucky’s strategy entering this game made sense. The Wildcats tried to push the pace, where they excel — but Michigan State wouldn’t allow it. They packed the paint against a team that had failed to make 3-pointers — Michigan State made 3s.

But Kentucky really struggled to score in its half-court sets, also a problem against Louisville. It also had far too many mishaps on defense. Foul trouble for Collin Chandler, the team’s leading scorer, didn’t help. Yet, the question about Kentucky’s locker room and whether there are issues outside basketball will persist. –Medcalf

Champions Classic preview

9 p.m. ET, ESPN

Editor’s note: After this story was published, Kansas announced that Darryn Peterson (hamstring) will not play on Tuesday night. The following has been updated to reflect that news.

How Duke could win: These teams have a noticeable talent gap, especially with Peterson out.

Duke didn’t look efficient offensively in the first half of its season opener against Texas, but the Blue Devils have been firing on all cylinders since. Cameron Boozer has been as productive as expected (more on that below), but the perimeter balance has been effective, too. Duke has made 36 3s over its past three games, with Dame Sarr beginning to emerge and Patrick Ngongba II being an anchor inside. Kansas couldn’t stop North Carolina once the Tar Heels got going in the second half of the Jayhawks’ Nov. 7 loss, and I expect a repeat of that Tuesday night.

How Kansas could win: With Peterson sidelined, it’s hard to see the Jayhawks prevail. Can they find any level of success limiting Boozer’s touches near the rim — the way Texas did on Nov. 4 — with some combination of Flory Bidunga, Tre White and Bryson Tiller? Without Peterson, Kansas’ offense has run through Bidunga, who will need to be aggressive against Ngongba and Maliq Brown.

Bill Self has a variety of battle-tested veteran wings; White, Melvin Council Jr. and Jayden Dawson will also have to step up if Kansas wants to keep up with Duke’s firepower.

What does Boozer have to do to close the gap in the race for the No. 1 pick? Boozer has continued to be productive, finishing with 35 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals against Indiana State on Friday. We should expect more massive stat lines in Tuesday’s game — and in upcoming matchups against Florida, Michigan State and Texas Tech — which will keep him in the conversation for the top pick. He clocks in at No. 3 in ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft. — Borzello

6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

How Kentucky could win: Michigan State doesn’t have a player like Mikel Brown Jr. — the projected NBA lottery pick out of Louisville who scored 29 points in the Cardinals’ win against Kentucky last Tuesday — but the Wildcats have to be better defensively than they were against their archrivals. They can’t allow the Spartans to have the same success the Cardinals had with isolation and pick-and-roll plays a week ago.

On offense, Kentucky is at its best when it plays fast but under control. That pace (the Wildcats are 83rd in adjusted tempo, per KenPom) allows Collin Chandler (57% from 3) to get open looks, and Denzel Aberdeen and Otega Oweh to create shots — a potential winning formula against Michigan State.

How Michigan State could win: Michigan State doesn’t win the talent battle, but Tom Izzo will be the most experienced coach on the floor, a potential key to the game. It will be difficult for the Spartans to win by matching Kentucky’s pace, but they can replicate Louisville’s success in exposing the Wildcats’ defensive vulnerabilities in half-court actions.

The Spartans will also have to limit Oweh’s impact, and force other players to take shots they’re not accustomed to shooting. Izzo will also need 6-foot-9 freshman Cam Ward (18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals in the Nov. 8 win over Arkansas) to play at a high level under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.

The X factor we haven’t considered yet: Michigan State is just 9-for-43 from the 3-point line in its past two Champions Classic appearances — and this season’s team has made just 21.7% of its shots from beyond the arc (352nd out of 365 Division I programs entering the week). Another cold night for the Spartans from deep might spell doom against a Kentucky team that is top 10 in adjusted offensive efficiency.

On the other side, Kentucky coach Mark Pope said Jaland Lowe‘s status is undetermined due to injury. If the Pitt transfer is unavailable, Aberdeen will be forced to lead his team and avoid foul trouble. A couple of early fouls on the Florida transfer, arguably the Wildcats’ best defensive player, could change the outcome of this game. — Medcalf