Time, TV for Champions Classic

by Junna Base November 13, 2024

Can Michigan State basketball knock off the No. 1 team in the nation?

Tom Izzo and the Spartans face No. 1 Kansas and former Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson on Tuesday looking for a win to start the season.

The Spartans are 2-0 after handily defeating Monmouth and Niagara last week at the Breslin Center, winning by a combined score of 177-117.

Michigan State Basketball has a team that features some familiar faces and some new faces after reshuffling last year’s team that was swept by North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Watch Michigan State vs. Kansas on Fubo (Free Trial)

Gone are Tyson Walker, AJ Hoggard, Malik Hall and Mady Sissoko, and in come transfers Frankie Fidler (Omaha) and Szymon Zapala (Longwood), who are helping to reshape the MSU team. But the Spartans hope the biggest difference will be players who have already been in the program taking the next step.

Point guard Jeremy Fears is back after missing most of last season while recovering from a gunshot wound to the leg in December 2023 and has been impressive so far, particularly when passing the ball, averaging eight dimes per game.

In terms of scoring, both Jaden Akins and Jaxon Kohler have set career highs in the two games played this year, and the Spartans will need both of them, as well as Fears and the other guys on the team, to be at their best to beat Kansas.

The Jayhawks already had a win of their own, nearly blowing a big lead over North Carolina before coming off a strong showing at Allen Fieldhouse, defeating the Tar Heels 92-89.

Dickinson, in his fifth year of college, scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds in the win.

The Spartans will look to slow down the two-time consensus All-American with a combination of Zapala, Kohler, Carson Cooper and Xavier Booker.

Here’s how to watch the Spartans’ game against Kansas:

What channel is Michigan State vs. Kansas on today?

The Spartans play Kansas at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN with Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Jess Sims. This is Michigan State’s 14th appearance in the Champions Classic and the Spartans have a 5-8 all-time record.

Michigan State vs. Kansas start time

Date: Tuesday, November 12th.
Time: 6:35 p.m. ET.
Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta.

The Spartans have their first big test of the season on Tuesday against No. 1 Kansas, which already has a decisive win after beating North Carolina on Friday. The Spartans and Jayhawks have played 15 times before Tuesday’s showdown, including four times in the Champions Classic. Kansas leads the all-time series at 8-7 and MSU is 2-2 against the Jayhawks in the Champions Classic.

2024-25 Michigan State basketball schedule

Below is the first part of Michigan State’s 2024-25 basketball schedule. The Spartans’ full 2024-25 schedule can be found here.

Date	Opponent
Monday, November 4th	vs. Monmouth (Win, 81-57)
Thursday, November 7th	vs. Niagra (W, 96-60)
Tuesday, November 12th	vs. Kansas (Champions Classic in Atlanta)
Saturday November 16th	against Bowling Green
Tuesday, November 19th	against Samford
Monday, November 25th	vs. Colorado (Maui Invitational)
Tuesday, November 26th	vs. TBD (Maui Invitational)
Wednesday, November 27th	vs. TBD (Maui Invitational)
Wednesday December 4th	in Minnesota

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