[7:08 PM] #2 Kentucky v. #13 Michigan State

Who will WIN this matchup?

#2 Kentucky Wildcats (2-0)

#13 Michigan State Spartans (0-1)

 

• The line for this game is Kentucky by 7.5 points

• No. 13 Michigan State is piling up the frequent-flyer miles as it continues what is arguably the nation’s most difficult start to a schedule against second-ranked Kentucky in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York on Tuesday. The Spartans are coming off a 65-63 loss to No. 11 Arizona on Friday in the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu and despite the heavy travel and stiff competition, freshman guard Joshua Langford put it all in perspective.

• Isaiah Briscoe wasn’t good enough to bolt for the NBA after averaging 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds as a freshman, but it looks like the guard will be good to go after his sophomore season after averaging 19 points in the first two games. The same cannot be said for freshman point guard De’Aaron Fox, who like Briscoe scored 21 points Sunday and with 33 points and 15 assists in two contests is off to a good start in what should be his only season with the Wildcats. Freshman guard Malik Monk, another one-and-done candidate, reached double figures in scoring in his first two games.

• The Spartans need a short memory as they blew a 17-2 lead, committed 18 turnovers and lost on a shot with 1.3 seconds left against Arizona. Miles Bridges, a 6-7 guard, exploded for 21 points and seven rebounds in a team-high 37 minutes, joining Langford, forward Nick Ward (nine points and four rebounds in 14 minutes) and freshman guard Cassius Winston (three assists in 10 minutes) in making their debuts. Michigan State hopes to keep getting strong work from sophomore forward Kenny Goins, who grabbed eight rebounds in 26 minutes Friday after averaging 2.9 in 10.0 minutes as a freshman.

• Three Kentucky players — Fox, Monk and freshman F Bam Adebayo (9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds) — are among the 50 players on the Naismith Trophy watch list.

• Spartans junior G Tum Tum Nairn Jr., who led the Big Ten and was seventh in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio last season at 3.5, recorded four assists and four turnovers Friday.

• Kentucky leads the series 12-11 after Michigan State’s 78-74 victory in the 2013 Champions Classic. The Wildcats lost the NCAA championship game to Connecticut that season.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Kentucky Wildcats 

Confidence: 6/10

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