Kansas Jayhawks, Michigan State Spartans all tied up heading into Champions Classic
Perennial college men’s basketball powers Kansas and Michigan State have met 14 times throughout history with the all-time series tied 7-7 entering Tuesday’s season-opening Champions Classic.
The Big 12 and Big Ten teams, both known for fundamentally sound defense as well as the physical toughness of their players, have slugged it out to a 4-4 deadlock in games pitting Hall of Fame coaches Bill Self of KU and Tom Izzo of MSU.
One of the schools will gain instant bragging rights, inching ahead of the other, following another intriguing matchup between the bluebloods set for 6 p.m. Central time at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Here’s a look at the eight KU-Michigan State games matching the 58-year-old Self (729 career victories at KU, Illinois, Tulsa and Oral Roberts) against the 66-year-old Izzo (643 victories, all at MSU). The Jayhawks have won two in a row and three of the last four against MSU.
Overall, KU is the second-winningest program of all time (2,323 victories, just four behind Kentucky) and Michigan State 27th (1,758).
Kansas 92, Michigan State 87
Champions Classic, Nov. 6, 2018, Indianapolis
The Jayhawks, the preseason No. 1-ranked team in the country, tripped No. 10 Michigan State, thanks in part to 21 points from Quentin Grimes and 20 from Dedric Lawson. Both players were making their debuts at KU. Lawson, a transfer from Memphis, came close to a triple double, finishing with 14 rebounds and six assists.
KU led by as many as 17 points in the first half and never trailed in the final stanza. The Spartans cut a 10-point deficit to 90-87 when Kyle Ahrens made a three-pointer with 34 seconds left Devon Dotson hit one of two free throws to make it 91-87 at :15. Cassius Watson missed a layup, Kansas grabbed the rebound and Grimes made one of two free throws to complete the scoring.
Michigan State was led by Joshua Langford and Kenny Goins who scored 18 and 17 points respectively. Winston scored 13 points and dished 11 assists while Matt McQuaid chipped in 12 points. Udoka Azubuike scored 17 points and Dotson 16 for KU.
“I’m a little disappointed in our bigs,” Izzo said after the game. “We’ll take more positives from this than negatives. This was good for us.”
Kansas 90, Michigan State 70
NCAA second-round game, March 19, 2017, Tulsa, Oklahoma
KU’s Josh Jackson, who was matched against childhood friend Miles Bridges, scored 14 of his 23 points in the second half. Frank Mason contributed 20 points for the Jayhawks.
Bridges scored 22 points, while Nick Ward and Langford finished with 13 and 10 points respectively.
“Josh Jackson is a heck of a player,” Izzo said after the game. “We wanted to beat his brains in today. I’m sure the feeling was mutual. But there’s respect, and respect means there will be a friendship when it’s over.”
Michigan State 79, Kansas 73
Champions Classic, Nov. 17, 2015, Chicago
Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine scored 29 points with 12 rebounds and 12 assists for the second triple-double ever recorded against KU.
Michigan State Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, who scored 12 points, dished 11 assists and pulled down 10 rebounds in a victory over the Jayhawks in 1979 in East Lansing, Mich., was the other player to record a triple-double versus the Jayhawks.
Valentine scored 21 points in the second half as Michigan State erased a six-point halftime deficit at the United Center.
“It’s a disappointing loss. We had the game,” Self said. “I am leaving here pretty (ticked) off because I don’t think our guys, me, everybody involved in our program did as good a job as we could. If we did I think we could have pulled this one off.”
Perry Ellis had 21 points to lead the Jayhawks.
Kansas 61, Michigan State 56
Orlando Classic, Nov 30, 2014, Orlando
Ellis scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds to pace KU in the title game of the Orlando Classic. Cliff Alexander, who started the second half, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked four shots while scoring six points. Svi Mykhailiuk was 3-of-6 shooting from three and scored 11 points.
The Jayhawks outrebounded MSU, 44-36, and held the Spartans to 32.2% shooting — 24.2% the final half.
KU’s Frank Mason secured 10 rebounds to go with his 10 points and five assists. KU won despite an 0-for-10 shooting performance from Wayne Selden Jr. Valentine and Travis Trice had 14 points apiece for the Spartans.
“The number of layups we missed was incredible. I’m not sure Kansas played great. I’m not sure Michigan State played great. Maybe we should be crediting both defenses. They found a way to win. Give them credit. We found a way to lose. Give us blame,” said Izzo.
“I’ll be honest, I thought we guarded them pretty well,” Self said. “I thought they guarded us pretty well. When you play Michigan State, they make you play up over the top the majority of the time. You are not going to get a lot of easy baskets (KU was 3-of-14 from three). If somebody shoots 45% against one of Tom’s teams, they’ve really shot the ball well. We missed some open looks. They missed some open looks. The game really starts when you play them when the ball is in the air a lot of times. I thought we did a good job on the glass.”
Michigan State 67, Kansas 64
Champions Classic, Nov. 13, 2012, Atlanta
Keith Appling hit a driving layup with 13.8 seconds left to up a one-point lead to three. KU’s Travis Releford missed a three-pointer at the buzzer as MSU prevailed at the Georgia Dome.
Elijah Johnson and Ben McLemore scored 16 and 14 points respectively for KU. The Jayhawks led by seven points with 12 minutes left and, 59-54, with five minutes to play. Michigan State, which was led by Appling’s 19 points, closed on a 13-5 run. Freshman Gary Harris scored 18 points for MSU.
“We didn’t run offense down the stretch. Our spacing stunk the last seven, eight minutes,” Self said after the game.
Michigan State 67, Kansas 62
NCAA Midwest Regional Sweet 16, March 27, 2009, Indianapolis
Goran Suton scored 20 points and Kalin Lucas 18 for MSU. Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich had 20 and 17 points respectively for KU.
Lucas scored seven points and was 5-of-5 from the line in the final 49 seconds. The Jayhawks, who won the national title the year before, led by 13 points in the first half and five points with three minutes left. Draymond Green scored seven points off the bench for Michigan State.
“I don’t think it’s a disappointment,” KU guard Collins said. “We still exceeded what most people thought about us, but we had our own expectations in this locker room. I’d rather have gotten blown out than lose a close game.”
Michigan State 75, Kansas 62
Regular-season game, Jan. 10, 2009, East Lansing, Michigan
Lucas scored 22 points for the winners. KU’s Collins and Aldrich responded with 25 and 14 points for the Jayhawks, who trailed, 37-18, at halftime, but, outscored MSU, 44-38, the final half.
Aldrich hit 4 of 9 shots and had 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. Six different Spartan players guarded him.
“They threw everybody at me,” Aldrich said of Spartans;’ defensive players.
Kansas 81, Michigan State 74
Regular-season game, Nov. 25, 2003, Allen Fieldhouse
Wayne Simien scored 28 points in 38 minutes and grabbed eight boards in a physical game. It was played in Self’s first season at KU, fresh off three seasons at Big Ten school, Illinois.
Simien scored 18 points the first half. Aaron Miles contributed eight of his 17 points and J.R. Giddens six points as the Jayhawks, who were playing without the foul-plagued Keith Langford, led, 38-31, at the break. Langford responded with 13 points the final half, as the Jayhawks, who saw a 17-point lead (58-41) dip to four (76-72 at 2:27), were able to hang on.
“That’s probably as much fun as I’ve had coaching during a game,” Self said. “It’s the best atmosphere I’ve been a part of.”
Maurice Ager had 17 points and Alan Anderson 16 for the Spartans, whose only lead was 4-2.
The Spartans committed 24 turnovers to KU’s 18.
“Turnovers. It is almost criminal,” Izzo said. “You have to give Kansas credit for a few of them, but not 24.”
In games played between the teams prior to the Self era, MSU beat KU, 66-54, in a Great Eight game on Dec. 7, 1999 in Chicago; KU won, 96-86, in overtime in a Midwest Regional Sweet 16 game on March 2, 1986 in Kansas City; KU won, 74-56, on Dec. 5, 1981, at Allen Fieldhouse; MSU won, 85-61, on Feb. 4, 1979, in East Lansing; MSU won, 81-62, on Dec. 8, 1962 in East Lansing and KU won, 93-69, on Dec. 16, 1960 in Manhattan, Kansas.
