Tom Izzo’s illustrious career in basketball coaching has spanned 31 years at Michigan State, making him the second-longest-serving coach in Division 1 men’s basketball. His achievements include clinching the NCAA tournament title in 2000 and reaching the Final Four on seven additional occasions. In 2016, he was honored with induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
However, on Tuesday night, Izzo reached a new milestone by securing his first Champions Classic victory at Madison Square Garden. Michigan State delivered a commanding 83-66 win over the 12th-ranked Kentucky, marking a significant triumph over two leading Southeastern Conference teams known for their substantial investments in the sport. Ranked 17th in the latest Associated Press poll, the Spartans also notched a victory against then-No. 14 Arkansas with a nail-biting 69-66 score on November 8.
Prior to this, Izzo’s record at Madison Square Garden was a modest five victories in 18 appearances. The Spartans had suffered losses at MSG in two NCAA tournament games, bowing out to Connecticut in the 2014 Elite Eight and to Kansas State in the 2023 Sweet 16. Additionally, they had been defeated in all four previous Champions Classic games held at MSG between 2011 and 2021. Michigan State had lost seven out of their last nine encounters in this annual doubleheader, which features Michigan State, Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke, with the venue changing each year.
On this particular Tuesday, Michigan State delivered its most impressive performance of the season, establishing a 17-point lead by halftime and maintaining a double-digit advantage throughout the second half. Previously, in their opening three games, MSU had struggled with a mere 21.7% success rate on 3-point shots, ranking 362nd among 365 Division 1 teams. However, against Kentucky, the Spartans found their rhythm, sinking four 3-pointers in the first 4:10 and finishing the first half with an impressive 7 of 13 from beyond the arc, surpassing their three-game total for 3-pointers.
Michigan State ended the game with a 50% accuracy on 3-point attempts (11 of 22), dished out 25 assists on 32 field goals, and dominated the boards with a 42-28 rebounding edge. The Spartans held Kentucky to just 35.1% shooting (20 of 57), including a mere 23.3% from 3-point range (7 of 30).
Unlike many teams, including Kentucky, which rely heavily on transfers, Michigan State’s lineup is mostly composed of players who have remained loyal to the program. Out of the ten players who participated on Tuesday, only guards Trey Fort (Samford) and Divine Ugochukwu (Miami) are transfers. The Spartans’ roster includes returning starters, sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and 6-foot-10 senior forward Jaxon Kohler, as well as key reserves like 6-foot-11 center Carson Cooper, forward Coen Carr, and guard Kur Teng. The team also features freshmen forwards Cam Ward and Jordan Scott, along with 6-foot-10 forward Jesse McCulloch, who redshirted last season.
While most programs, including Kentucky, rely on numerous transfers, nearly all of the players in Michigan State’s rotation have never played for another school. Of the ten Michigan State players who saw action on Tuesday until Izzo emptied his bench late in the game, guards Trey Fort (Samford) and Divine Ugochukwu (Miami) are the only transfers. The Spartans have two returning starters in sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and 6-foot-10 senior forward Jaxon Kohler and three players who were reserves last year in 6-foot-11 center Carson Cooper, forward Coen Carr and guard Kur Teng. They also have two freshmen (forwards Cam Ward and Jordan Scott) and 6-foot-10 forward Jesse McCulloch, who redshirted last season.
During his postgame press conference, Izzo was asked if roster continuity was undervalued today in an era when most teams focus on transfers, who receive much of the preseason and offseason attention.
“I’m guarded in what I say,” Izzo said. “How about 100 freaking percent.”
He added: “I give credit to a lot of people. Everybody does it a different way, but it’s funny you ask that question because that seems to be the people that are getting the most credit. The transfer portal recruitment is almost bigger than winning games. Not at Michigan State. Someday it could hurt me. I’m going to do what I’ve got to do, but I don’t give up on the people I got.”
Izzo pointed to the development of players such as Fears, who had a career-high 13 assists Tuesday. He compared Fears to Mateen Cleaves, the point guard on Michigan State’s national title team from 25 years ago. He noted that Cleaves “had a couple of rough years” before becoming an All-American and MSU legend.
“That’s what happens as you’re trying to make a boy a man and make a good player a great player,” Izzo said. “Tonight, it was fun to see some of that come to fruition. Everybody does it a different way, but I’m saddened that it’s become a transactional society as far as football and basketball, but I’m just going to keep hanging in there until it doesn’t work. I’ll still get a transfer here and there. I just don’t want to get rid of guys that have put in a lot of time and put in a lot of effort.”
Fears, who is averaging 10.3 assists per game, wasn’t the only MSU player who excelled on Tuesday. Kohler had a game-high 20 points, while Fort had 13 and Teng had a career-high 15.
Kentucky played without point guard Jaland Lowe, who is out with a shoulder injury, while 6-foot-10 forward Jayden Quaintance hasn’t played all season as he recovers from an anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Lowe transferred from Pittsburgh, while Quaintance transferred from Arizona State. Quaintance is projected as the No. 9 pick in next year’s NBA draft, per ESPN.
Still, those absences should not diminish what Michigan State achieved Tuesday. The Wildcats have the preseason SEC player of the year in guard Otega Oweh plus talented transfers and freshmen who were overmatched by MSU. Oweh had a team-high 12 points, but he made just 4 of 12 shots, while no Kentucky player had more than four rebounds or three assists.
“We’re far away from the team that we hope to aspire to be,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope said. “We can’t waste a second on trying to grow into that. We’re disappointed and discouraged and completely discombobulated right now.”
Michigan State, meanwhile, is clicking early in the season, although it has several more tests. The Spartans have two premier nonconference games remaining against No. 18 North Carolina on Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving) in Fort Myers, Fla., and at home against No. 4 Duke on Dec. 6. And there’s also a loaded Big Ten schedule. Still, with the way the Spartans are playing, they should be in contention for another league title.
