Michigan State vs. Kentucky basketball, Champions Classic tipoff: Matchup analysis and a prediction
• What: Michigan State vs. Kentucky, Champions Classic
• When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
• Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
• TV/Radio: ESPN/Spartan Sports Network radio, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM; Sirius/XM Ch. 83 (MSU broadcast)
• Records/Rankings: MSU is 1-1 and unranked. Kentucky is 2-0 and ranked No. 4 nationally in both The Associated Press and Coaches poll.
• Vegas Line: Kentucky -6
• Coaches: MSU — Tom Izzo is 667-268 in his 28th season as a head coach, all with the Spartans. Kentucky — John Calipari is 812-241 in his 31st season as a collegiate head coach, including 367-101 in his 14th season with the Wildcats.
• Series: Kentucky leads 14-11 all-time, including 5-4 in the Izzo era and 3-1 with both Izzo and Calipari on the bench.
Lineups
MSU
C (22) Mady Sissoko (6-9) 9.0
PF (10) Joey Hauser (6-9) 10.0
F (25) Malik Hall (6-8) 8.0
SG (2) Tyson Walker (6-1) 9.0
PG (11) AJ Hoggard (6-4) 10.5
Kentucky
C (55) Lance Ware (6-9) 4.0
PF (0) Jacob Toppin (6-9) 11.5
SF (24) Chris Livingston (6-6) 7.0
SG (1) CJ Fredrick (6-3) 17.0
PG (22) Cason Wallace (6-4) 11.5
• MSU update: The Spartans are coming off a 64-63 loss to No. 2-ranked Gonzaga on Friday in San Diego, a game played in chilly temperatures and with a decent breeze aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. It was a game MSU controlled for about 30 minutes. The storylines emerging from Friday: MSU’s strong backcourt play and what transpired at the center position with Mady Sissoko. Sissoko, a seldom-used bench player his first two seasons, did well against two-time All-American center Drew Timme of Gonzaga. It was a somewhat stunning emergence for the 6-foot-9 MSU junior. The Spartans were 15 points better when he was on the court and 16 points worse in the 15 minutes he wasn’t. This is the 12th Champions Classic, an event that most years opens the season but was moved this year to accommodate Election Day. MSU is 4-7 in previous Champions Classics, including 1-2 against Kentucky.
• Kentucky update: The Wildcats are 2-0 after wins over Howard and Duquesne. The question is whether Kentucky’s star big man, Oscar Tshiebwe, will play after missing the first two games still recovering from a knee procedure. Coach John Calipari said Monday that Tshiebwe's availability would depend largely on how he looked in practice later in the day. MSU coach Tom Izzo said earlier Monday that he was 99% sure Tshiebwe would play. The 6-foot-9, 260-pound senior averaged better than 17 points and 15 rebounds last season for the Wildcats, who, this year, feature a rotation that’s a mix of seniors (three of them starters) and heralded freshmen, including guard Cason Wallace and wing Chris Livingston
MORE: Analyzing Michigan State basketball's 2022-23 roster, player by player
• Inside the matchup: This is a strong Kentucky roster with or without Tshiebwe. But he changes the complexion of the team when he’s on the floor. He’s not as crafty as Gonzaga’s Drew Timme, but he’s skilled, runs the court well and he’s ferocious on the glass. If Tshiebwe plays, this will be a different kind of challenge for Sissoko and anyone else the Spartans throw at him. I’d be surprised if that doesn’t include a few minutes for freshman Carson Cooper, simply for Cooper's length and athletic ability. The matchups elsewhere are equally intriguing. AJ Hoggard controlled a lot of the game against Gonzaga. Wallace, though, is a more elite talent than any of Gonzaga’s guards. MSU is familiar with Wallace’s backcourt mate, Iowa transfer CJ Fredrick, who’s a capable ball handler, solid defender and good long-range shooter. Senior power forward Jacob Toppin is also a force. If he and Tshiebwe are on the court together, that’s a lot of strength for the Spartans to deal with. This is a game where we’ll get a better sense of just how good this Spartans’ backcourt can be with Hoggard, Tyson Walker and Jaden Akins. There might not be many better trios in college basketball once Akins gets back up to speed.
• Prediction: Athletically, Kentucky is a different beast than Gonzaga. Izzo described this as Calipari’s best Kentucky team because of its mix of talented and seasoned veterans and high-end freshmen. But if MSU can hang in there in the paint, I don’t think the Spartans’ backcourt is going to let anyone run them off the floor right now. In college basketball, guards win games. This should be competitive.
• Make it: Kentucky 77, MSU 72
MORE: Couch: Predicting Michigan State's basketball season – Gonzaga, Kentucky, Villanova, the Big Ten and
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU vs. Kentucky basketball, Champions Classic: Prediction, preview
