Sports
What we learned from Michigan State’s win over Kentucky at Champions Classic
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Jeff Borzello
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Myron Medcalf
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Myron Medcalf
ESPN Staff Writer
- Myron Medcalf covers college basketball for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2011.
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
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Kur Teng’s 3rd triple pads Michigan State’s lead
Kur Teng’s 3rd triple pads Michigan State’s lead
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
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
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
Cristiano Ronaldo has acquired a 25% ownership stake in Spanish second division club UD Almeria.
The financial terms of the transaction, done through the Portugal captain’s CR7 Sports Investments company, have not been disclosed but the deal is considered a long-term strategic investment from Ronaldo.
“I have long had the ambition to contribute to football beyond the pitch,” Ronaldo said in a statement.
“UD Almería is a Spanish club with a strong foundation and clear growth potential. I wish to work with the team leading the club to support it in its new phase of growth.”
UD Almeria were taken over by a Saudi Investment group in May 2025.
Ronaldo, who turned 41 on Feb. 5, has in the past expressed his desire to own a football club once he retired.
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The former Real Madrid star last summer extended his contract with Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr through June 2027 and is expected to captain Portugal this summer in what will be a record sixth World Cup.
UD Almeria president Mohamed al Khereiji is thrilled to have the five-time Ballon d’Or winner on board.
“He is considered the best on the pitch,” Al Khereiji said. “He knows the Spanish leagues very well and understands the potential of what we are building here both in terms of the team and the youth academy.”
Relegated to the second division in April 2024, Almeria are on course to gain promotion to Spain’s top fight this season. They are third in Spain’s second tier, two points adrift of leaders Racing Santander after 27 games.
Real Madrid have their eye on Arsenal‘s Gabriel Magalhães, and Chelsea remain keen on Aston Villa‘s Morgan Rogers.
Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades
TRENDING RUMORS
– Real Madrid have made an enquiry about Arsenal center back Gabriel Magalhães, according to TeamTalk. The Premier League leaders quickly informedMadrid that the 28-year-old is not available at any price. Gabriel signed a long-term contract extension last summer. Having also secured deals to extend the stays of Bukayo Saka and William Saliba, Arsenal are reportedly determined to show that even a club as big as Madrid can’t take their top players.
– Chelsea remain confident that they can sign Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers despite the Villans stating that only an extraordinary offer would tempt them into even considering letting him go, reports TeamTalk. That figure will likely have to be over the £100 million Villa received from Manchester City for Jack Grealish in 2021. Chelsea have held a long-term interest in the 23-year-old, with their co-director of recruitment, Joe Shields, the person who originally took Rogers to City while leading the Citizens’ youth signings.
– Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are likely to face competition from Inter Milan to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka in the summer, reports CF Bayern Insider. Bayer Leverkusen are also keen on the 31-year-old, who will be a free agent with his contract in Bavaria expiring at the end of this season. Arsenal had tried to sign Goretzka in January, but the Germany international had already given Bayern his word that he would stay until the end of the campaign.
– Manchester United are closely monitoring the situation of Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye, as reported by Footmercato. The 27-year-old’s reputation has grown since he scored the winner against Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final, and he is also a key player for Villarreal. The World Cup offers Gueye another opportunity to impress on a big stage, yet he has already attracted plenty of interest, particularly from United who are looking to replace Casemiro following the announcement that the Brazilian will be leaving Old Trafford.
– Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford have all made checks on Eintracht Frankfurt right-back Nnamdi Collins, according to TeamTalk. Arsenal, in particular, are impressed by the 22-year-old and see similarities to Ben White, although Frankfurt have a strong negotiating position as Collins’ contract runs until 2030. Fellow Frankfurt full-back Nathaniel Brown has also been heavily scouted with Manchester United having looked at the 22-year-old.
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s Barcelona correspondent Sam Marsden takes a look at the club’s key transfer questions, including which striker they should sign:
Barça should sign a Kylian Mbappé or a Harry Kane, but they also should sign a center back, a fullback and a holding midfielder, probably another winger as well, so where will they streamline their spending? I would lean toward a center back.
But if it’s a striker, Julián Álvarez is well-liked within the club’s hierarchy. However, his recent form — no goals in 11 games before scoring against Barça last week — has raised doubts. Also, the fee Atlético would want for him is prohibitive — Barça sources have told ESPN they want well over €100 million. There is also no guarantee he would score more than Ferran Torres, who actually has five more league goals than Álvarez this season in 300 fewer minutes.
In that sense, Dusan Vlahovic could work as a free shot considering he will be out of contract this summer at Juventus, even if he would not excite supporters. Given how the market is and how much can change, I would advise Barça to sit tight for now and prioritise other areas until they can afford a proper investment in a striker.
OTHER RUMORS
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Moreno: PSG could get exposed in Champions League knockouts
Alejandro Moreno reacts to PSG’s progression to the Champions League knockouts after a 5-4 aggregate win over Monaco.
– Brighton could drop their valuation for Carlos Beleba from over £100 million to around £70 million amid interest from Manchester United. (TEAMtalk)
– Casemiro wants to continue playing in Europe when he leaves Manchester United, with Italy being flagged as a possible destination for the midfielder. (The Sun)
– Manchester City and Arsenal are closely monitoring versatile Brighton midfielder Jack Hinshelwood. (Caught Offside)
– Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United have all closely watched 18-year-old Ajax midfielder Sean Steur in recent weeks. (TEAMtalk)
– Marcus Thuram could leave Inter Milan during the summer transfer window. (Nicolo Schira)
– Several foreign clubs have approached Marc Casado, but the midfielder is getting closer to extending his contract with Barcelona. (Nicolo Schira)
– Atletico Madrid have included Borussia Dortmund striker Fabio Silva on their shortlist of possible replacements for Julián Alvarez if the 26-year-old leaves in the summer. (Rudy Galetti)
– Tottenham want to move for Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the summer as they prepare to lose Guglielmo Vicario. (Football Insider)
– Crystal Palace view signing a replacement for Marc Guéhi as a priority during the summer transfer window. (The Standard)
– Premier League and top European clubs are tracking Brentford goalkeeper Matthew Cox‘s impressive form on loan at Shrewsbury Town. (Football Insider)
Unbeaten South Africa national cricket team will take on the West Indies cricket team today (Thursday) in a high-stakes Super Eight match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The encounter, scheduled to begin at 2:30pm in Ahmedabad, India, carries significant semi-final implications for both sides.
Semi-Final Race Intensifies
The West Indies head into the contest brimming with confidence after a commanding 107-run victory over Zimbabwe earlier this week.
However, with a crucial final Super Eight fixture against India on Sunday, the Caribbean side must secure a win today to strengthen their chances of advancing.
South Africa, meanwhile, are in a strong position. A victory in this match would virtually seal their place in the semi-finals, barring an unlikely sequence of results in the group.
The Proteas are coming off an impressive win over India, where their middle-order batsmen delivered under pressure to post a competitive total.
Fireworks Expected
Both teams have displayed an aggressive brand of cricket throughout the tournament, making today’s clash one of the most anticipated matches of the Super Eight stage.
With power-hitters on both sides and high stakes attached, fans can expect a thrilling contest as the race for the semi-finals gathers pace.
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