How No. 12 Kentucky matches up vs. No. 17 Michigan State — with a game prediction
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Preview: Kentucky basketball vs. Michigan State
Click below to read more of the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com’s preview coverage ahead of Tuesday’s Kentucky-Michigan State game at Madison Square Garden in New York.
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How the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats (3-1) and the No. 17 Michigan State Spartans (3-0) match up at each position for Tuesday’s NCAA men’s college basketball State Farm Champions Classic — with a game prediction:
Small forward
• Kentucky’s Collin Chandler (11.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 56.5% treys) made UK basketball history by making four 3-pointers in each of the Wildcats’ first three games, something no Wildcats player had done before. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound sophomore from Farmington, Utah, leads UK in assists with 14 and has only turned the ball over four times in four games.
• Michigan State’s Coen Carr (11.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 56.5% FGs) had 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the Spartans’ 69-66 win against SEC foe Arkansas on Nov. 8. The 6-6, 225-pound product of Stockbridge, Georgia, has missed all three of his 3-point attempts so far this season.
Advantage: Even.
Power forward
• Kentucky junior Mouhamed Dioubate (12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 67.9% FGs) did not have a big impact in UK’s 86-78 loss at Louisville on Nov. 11. The transfer from Alabama, Dioubate finished with seven points and four rebounds in 18 minutes. The 6-7, 220-pound product of Queens, New York, bounced back with his first double-double in a UK uniform in the Wildcats’ 99-53 pasting of Eastern Illinois at Rupp Arena on Friday, going for 22 points and 11 rebounds and making 8 of 9 shots.
• Michigan State senior Jaxon Kohler is averaging a double-double, 14.3 points and 13.3 rebounds. The 6-10, 245-pound product of American Fork, Utah, had 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists in MSU’s win against Arkansas. Kohler has not shot the ball especially well, making 42.5% of his field-goal attempts and 25% of his 3-point tries. In Michigan State’s 86-77 double-overtime victory over Kentucky in the 2022-23 Champions Classic, Kohler played nine minutes and grabbed three rebounds.
Advantage: Michigan State.
Center
• Kentucky junior Brandon Garrison (7.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists) had minimal impact in the loss at Louisville, finishing with three points and six rebounds in 23 minutes. The 6-10, 245-pound product of Oklahoma City has attempted only 15 field goals through four games but has made 12 of them for a robust 80% shooting percentage.
• Michigan State senior Carson Cooper (12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 59.1% FGs) had nine points, two rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes in the win against Arkansas. The 6-11, 245-pound senior hit 6 of 7 shots and had 17 points and seven rebounds in MSU’s 79-60 win over San Jose State last Thursday. As a freshman in 2022-23, Cooper logged four minutes in MSU’s Champions Classic win over UK and had a steal, a turnover and two fouls to show for it.
Advantage: Michigan State.
Shooting guard
• Kentucky senior Otega Oweh (13.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 46.2% FGs) had a rough go in the loss at U of L. The 6-4, 220-pound product of Newark, New Jersey, shot 4 of 13 against the Cardinals, was 1 of 6 on 3-pointers and had five turnovers. Oweh was a late-game hero in UK’s 77-72 upset of Duke in last season’s Champions Classic. In the final 15 seconds, Oweh made a steal with the game tied; hit two free throws to put UK ahead; got an offensive rebound of a missed Kentucky free throw with the Cats up three; and hit two more foul shots to seal the Cats’ win.
• Michigan State’s Trey Fort (5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 27.8% FGs, 21.4% treys) is another “modern college player” who is playing for his fourth team in four seasons. The 6-4, 200-pound senior from Florence, Mississippi, began his college career at Tennessee Martin (2020-21), then moved to Mississippi State (2023-24) and Samford (2024-25) prior to joining the Spartans. In Mississippi State’s 90-77 loss to Kentucky at Rupp Arena in 2023-24, Fort hit 5 of 10 shots, 3 of 7 treys, and scored 13 points.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Point guard
• With the latest shoulder injury to Jaland Lowe, Denzel Aberdeen (15.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 56.1% FGs) is likely going to be Kentucky’s lead guard for the foreseeable future. The 6-5, 195-pound senior was UK’s best player in the loss to Louisville, going for 26 points, seven rebounds and three assists. An Orlando product who played his first three college seasons for Florida, Aberdeen has a 4-1 assists-turnovers ratio (12 versus 3) through four games.
• Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. (11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 33% FGs) is tied for fourth in NCAA Division I in assists with 28. The 6-2, 190-pound redshirt sophomore has produced all that ball distribution at minimal cost, as he has turned the ball over only seven times. In the win against Arkansas, Fears missed all seven of his field goal tries but finished with four points, three rebounds and nine assists.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Bench
• The shoulder issue that has sidelined Kentucky junior point guard Jaland Lowe (7.5 points, 5.0 assists, 26.7% FGs) should create greater opportunity for freshman guard Jasper Johnson (7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 39.1% FGs). The 6-5, 180-pound former Woodford County star had a tough night at Louisville (no points, 0-for-4 on field goal attempts) but has averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 assists in UK’s other three contests. … A 7-foot, 250-pound freshman center from Great Crossing High School, Malachi Moreno (10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 58.6% FGs), has been an early-season standout. … UK unleashed its big, second-half run that cut a 20-point deficit at Louisville to four when Mark Pope inserted sophomore forward Kam Williams (3.3 points, 3.0 rebounds) into the game. … Sophomore forward Andrija Jelavic (7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 52% FGs) has hit 8 of 12 shots combined in UK’s past two games.
• Michigan State freshman forward Cam Ward (10.0 points, 6 rebounds, 61.9% FGs) was the breakout star in the Spartans’ win against Arkansas. The 6-9, 230-pound product of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, hung a double-double on John Calipari’s crew with 18 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes of playing time. … Another freshman forward, Jordan Scott (4.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 30% FGs), also came up big vs. Arkansas. The 6-8, 200-pound product of Reston, Virginia, had six points, seven rebounds and a blocked shot against the Hogs. … A 6-4, 190-pound product of Manchester, New Hampshire, sophomore guard Kur Teng (5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 40% 3-point shooting) had 10 points in the win against San Jose State.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Trends and history
• Kentucky coach Mark Pope has not coached against Michigan State while at UK.
• Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is 6-4 against UK.
• Kentucky is 6-8 and Michigan State is 5-9 all-time in the Champions Classic.
• The Wildcats and Spartans have split four prior head-to-head meetings in the Champions Classic.
• Kentucky has lost its last three games and four of its last five at Madison Square Garden. The one win in that stretch at MSG, however, came against Michigan State, 69-62, in the 2019-20 Champions Classic.
Advantage: Michigan State.
Prediction
Kentucky 75, Michigan State 71.
This story was originally published November 17, 2025 at 6:52 AM.
