Since 2011, the first year of the State Farm Champions Classic, the event has become one of college basketball’s signature events. Some people believe the event marks the unofficial start of the college basketball season.
What makes the Champions Classic great is that the same four teams play in it each season. Kentucky, Michigan State, Kansas, and Duke are all elite programs in the sport. That’s why, regardless of what the matchups are, two great games can be expected on the night of the event.
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When the Champions Classic is in Madison Square Garden, there’s a big-game, big-event feel to it. That will be the case Tuesday night when the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats take on the No. 17 Michigan State Spartans.
Michigan State, on paper, looks like a good matchup for the Wildcats. They should be able to match them in the rebounding battle, and they won’t have to worry about the Spartans hitting a bevy of three-pointers like Louisville did last Tuesday. Still, though, the Spartans are a really good team, a big team, and a physical team.
Tom Izzo’s teams have always been known for their rebounding and toughness. In seasons past, that may have been a bad matchup for Kentucky. This season, though, Mark Pope has a team built to be better on defense. This will be a game where we find out how much better the Wildcats are defensively.
Let’s take a closer look at the No. 17 Michigan State Spartans and the keys to Tuesday night’s game in New York.
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Players to Watch on No. 17 Michigan State
1. No. 0: Jaxon Kohler — 6-10, 245 lbs. Sr. Forward, American Fork, Utah
Stats: 14.3 pts, 13.3 rebs, 42.4 FG%, 3-12 3-PT FG, 12-15 FT, 3 blk, 31 mpg
Kohler is a physically imposing player that Tom Izzo refers to as “a post player in the mold of former Spartan standout Zach Randolph.” That’s not all. He’s been nicknamed “The Big Footwork” and “Baby Jokic.”
The numbers through three games validate those nicknames. Kohler already has two double-doubles, with 15+ rebounds in both of those games this season.
One thing that stands out about Kohler is that he’s not really efficient from the field. He’s only shot 50 percent in a game just once this season.
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Kohler is good at getting to the free-throw line and then making free throws, but he has to work to get his points. That’s why he has so many rebounds.
At the end of the day, Kohler is a really good and experienced player who deserves the full attention of Kentucky’s frontcourt.
2. No. 15: Carson Cooper — 6-11, 245 lbs. Sr. Center, Jackson, Mich.
Stats: 12 pts/gm., 5 rebs/gm., 13-22 FG, 10-18 FT, 3 blk, 25.3 mpg
With all the attention that Kohler will get Tuesday night, it’s important to still devote a good amount to Carson Cooper. He can score, and unlike Kohler, is efficient from the floor.
The key to defending Cooper is to knock him off his rhythm and put him behind schedule. Making it difficult to score, forcing him into tough shots, and preventing him from putting the ball in the basket are the keys to limiting his production.
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In high school at Jackson Northwest, Cooper was an Honorable Mention All-State selection by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association, playing on a team that finished as runners-up in the state cup.
3. No. 55: Coen Carr — 6-6, 230 lbs. Jr. Forward, Stockbridge, Ga.
Stats: 11.7 pts, 5 rebs/gm., 13-23 FG, 0-3 3-PT FG, 9-14 FT, 3 blk, 29.3 mpg
Carr is on a strong upward progression through his first three seasons, and this is his first season starting for the Spartans. He’s settling into his increased role nicely, shooting over 50 percent from the floor in all three games and scoring in double figures in the Spartans’ first two games.
Originally from Stockbridge, Ga., Carr played his final two high school basketball seasons at Legacy Early College in South Carolina, where he became the No. 1 recruit in the state from 247 Sports and On3Sports. Carr was selected to play in the 2023 Iverson Classic and played in the Rocket Mortgage High School Slam Dunk Championship.
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4. No. 1: Jeremy Fears Jr. — 6-2, 190 lbs. R-So. Guard, Joliet, Ill.
Stats: 11 pts/gm., 4.3 rebs, 28 ast.-7 TO, 6 stl, 8-24 FG, 3-8 3-PT FG, 14-16 FT, 33 mpg
If Kentucky fans still have nightmares of former Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears from the SEC Tournament back in March, they’ll get a look at his older brother Tuesday night.
Fears is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he led the Spartans with 5.4 assists, ranking third in the Big Ten. He was also third in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.72 and No. 9 nationally in assist rate. In addition, Fears led the Spartans in free throws made and attempted.
Selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American game in 2023, Fears was an honorable mention Naismith High School All-American selection and was named the MaxPreps Illinois High School Basketball Player of the Year in 2023. Fears was the No. 1 recruit in Illinois by 247 Sports and On3Sports.
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Jeremy’s father, Jeremy Sr., played college basketball at Ohio and earned MAC All-Freshman honors in 2005. He went on to finish his career at Bradley.
5. No. 3: Cameron Ward — 6-9, 230 lbs. Fr. Forward, Upper Marlboro, Md.
Stats: 10 pts/gm., 6 rebs/gm., 13-21 FG, 0-1 3-PT FG, 4-11 FT, 16 mpg
The all-time leading scorer in Maryland public school history at 2,716 career points, Ward was the No. 46 player and No. 10 power forward by 247 Sports in the Class of 2025. Ward averaged 29.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, four assists, and 2.8 blocks per game.
Ward had 18 points and 10 rebounds against Arkansas on Nov. 8, and he has shot over 50% from the floor in each of the Spartans’ three games this season.
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6. No. 9: Trey Fort — 6-4, 200 lbs. Sr. Guard, Florence, Miss.; Samford Transfer
Stats: 5.3 pts, 2.3 rebs, 5-18 FG, 3-14 3-PT FG, 3-3 FT, 16.7 mpg
Fort is in his sixth season playing college basketball, and he played for Mississippi State in the 2023-24 season. Last season at Samford, Fort started all 33 games and earned Second-Team All-SoCon honors on a team that played in the NIT Tournament. He led the Bulldogs in scoring at 14.6 points per game, and his 481 points are the ninth-highest single-season total in school history.
Fort is one of just four transfers on this Spartans team.
7. No. 2: Kur Teng — 6-5, 200 lbs. So. Guard, Manchester, N.H.
Stats: 5.3 pts, 1 reb/gm., 6-15 FG, 4-10 3-PT FG, 13.7 mpg
Teng is seeing a significant increase in playing time this season, with his minutes per game up by over 10 and his scoring up by nearly five points per game.
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Teng is coming off a 10-point game against San Jose State last Thursday, going 4-8 from the floor and 2-5 from three-point range.
Head Coach: Tom Izzo (31st Season, 740-302) — 70 years old
In a sport that has seen the advent of the one-and-done and transfer portal/NIL, Tom Izzo has mastered blending old-school roster building with new-era adaptations in college basketball. Still going strong at 70 years old, Izzo is one of the most accomplished head coaches in the history of college basketball.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, Izzo has taken the Spartans to eight Final Fours and two NCAA Tournament National Championship Games. Led by a gutsy effort by Matten Cleaves, the Spartans won the 2000 NCAA Tournament. It was the culmination of a stretch where the Spartans went six Final Fours in 12 seasons, and the Spartans added two more Final Fours in 2015 and 2019. Izzo’s eight Final Four appearances are the fifth most for a head coach in college basketball history.
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Izzo is a master at recruiting and developing. In his time as the Spartans’ head coach, Izzo has recruited 17 McDonald’s All-Americans and has had 23 players selected for the NBA Draft. In addition, 12 of the last 26 Mr. Basketball honorees in the state of Michigan have signed to play for the Spartans.
Over the last 30 seasons, the Spartans have been one of the most successful programs in college basketball. Their 27 straight NCAA Tournament appearances are officially recognized as the longest active streak in the nation, and Izzo’s .694 winning percentage is third among active head coaches. Izzo’s 59 NCAA Tournament wins are the most for any Big Ten head coach all-time and rank sixth all-time.
The Spartans have won 11 Big Ten regular-season titles and six Big Ten Tournament titles in Izzo’s first 30 seasons. Izzo has won four Big Ten Coach of the Year Awards, including this past season, and has been the NABC Coach of the Year twice. In addition, Izzo received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in 2011 and was the AP College Coach of the Year in 1998.
Prior to being named the Spartans’ head coach in 1995, Izzo served as an assistant coach for the program for 13 seasons. Izzo began his college coaching career at Northern Michigan from 1979 to 1983.
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Keys to the Game
1. Rebounding
The Spartans have historically been known for their rebounding and toughness. This season, they have 45.7 rebounds through three games, which is a testament to that culture. With Kohler and Cooper, Michigan State has the ability to be a force on the glass again this season. While Kentucky’s frontcourt is really good and can match Michigan State’s physicality, the work will be cut out for the Wildcats’ big men tomorrow night.
2. Transition defense
This was a major problem at Louisville. Even though the Spartans may not be known for their transition and speed, that doesn’t mean the Wildcats can be slow getting back on defense in the event of a turnover or a fast break off a rebound. Getting back on defense and preventing transition buckets are crucial musts in Tuesday night’s contest.
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3. Match their physicality
If the Wildcats want to prove that what happened at Louisville was an outlier, they must match the Spartans’ physicality. To the Wildcats’ credit, their defense in the other three games they’ve played has been outstanding. Every one of their other three opponents has scored fewer than 60 points. Michigan State is a step above those three teams Kentucky has beaten, so allowing less than 70 points will put Kentucky in a great position to win.
4. Otega Oweh being the Otgea Oweh we know
In a game like this, it’s about your best player taking over. That’s what Kentucky needs from Oweh. With the fan base still a little on edge after last Tuesday, Oweh taking over this game in Madison Square Garden will really help ease the tension and breathe confidence back into the fan base and the team. Most importantly, Otega Oweh will look like Otega Oweh.
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Score Prediction: Wildcats 76, Spartans 69
These are two programs that are familiar with each other. There have been 26 matchups between these two teams, with Kentucky leading the series 14-12. On a neutral floor, the series is tied 4-4. In the State Farm Champions Classic, the series is tied 2-2.
Tuesday night’s game should be a close one. These are two teams that have the talent to play deep into March.
Kentucky bounced back nicely Friday night, which was crucial. With a win Tuesday night, some semblance of calm will be restored within Big Blue Nation. That’s what I believe will happen with Otega Oweh and Mouhamed Dioubate being the two players who lead the Wildcats to a victory in Madison Square Garden.
