KU Jayhawks basketball vs. Michigan State Spartans: Probable starters, TV, notes
Kansas and Michigan State will meet in the 2024 Champions Classic on Tuesday in Atlanta. Tipoff is 5:30 p.m. Central at State Farm Arena.
Here’s what you need to know before tipoff.
Kansas vs. Michigan State: Game information
When: 5:30 p.m. Central, Tuesday
Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta
TV: ESPN
Radio: WHB (810) in Kansas City; ESPN Wichita (92.3 FM) in Wichita
Probable starters
P | No. | Michigan State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 8 | Frankie Fidler | 6-7 | Sr. | 10.0 |
F | 34 | Xavier Booker | 6-11 | Soph. | 5.5 |
C | 10 | Szymon Zapala | 7-0 | Sr. | 7.0 |
G | 1 | Jeremy Fears | 6-2 | Fr. | 5.0 |
G | 3 | Jaden Akins | 6-4 | Sr. | 16.5 |
P | No. | Kansas | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 24 | KJ Adams | 6-7 | Sr. | 10.5 |
C | 1 | Hunter Dickinson | 7-2 | Sr. | 18.0 |
G | 8 | David Coit | 5-11 | Sr. | 4.0 |
G | 3 | Dajuan Harris | 6-2 | Sr. | 8.0 |
G | 6 | Rylan Griffen | 6-6 | Jr. | 5.5 |
About Michigan State (2-0)
Michigan State is 5-22 all-time against teams ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25. MSU defeated No. 1 Indiana State in the 1979 NCAA championship game, Wisconsin on Feb. 20, 2007 in East Lansing, Louisville in the 2009 NCAA Elite Eight, Kentucky on Nov. 12, 2013, in the Champions Classic in Chicago and, most recently, Duke in the 2019 NCAA East Regional final, 68-67, in Washington, D.C. … The Spartans are 2-0 after winning home games against Monmouth (81-57) and Niagara (96-60). …
The Spartans return eight letterwinners, add two transfers and five freshmen to last year’s team that finished 20-15 and went to the NCAA Tournament for the 26th-straight time, the longest active streak in Division I. … MSU returns three players who started games last year, led by guard Jaden Akins, who finished fourth on the team in scoring (10.4 ppg) while adding 3.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and tying for the team lead in 3-pointers made (64). … MSU added transfers in senior forward Frankie Fidler (Omaha) and senior center Szymon Zapala (Longwood/Utah State). …
Michigan State is 5-8 all-time in the Champions Classic. In last year’s Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago, No. 18 Michigan State lost to No. 9 Duke, 74-65, with Tyson Walker leading the Spartans (22 points). … Head Coach Tom Izzo is 709-295 in 30 years at MSU. … Izzo has guided MSU to eight Final Four appearances, 10 Big Ten regular season championships and six Big Ten tournament titles. … Junior forward Jaxon Kohler attained his second career double double (20 points, 13 rebounds) in MSU’s win over Niagara on Thursday. … Jeremy Fears has dished eight assists in both of the Spartans’ two games.
About No. 1: Kansas (2-0)
KU senior Hunter Dickinson was named Big 12 player of the week and Zeke Mayo co-newcomer of the week (with BYU’s Egor Demin) on Monday, the Big 12 announced. … Coach Bill Self is tied with Phog Allen for most coaching victories in school history. Self is 590-143 in 22 seasons at KU; Allen went 590-219 in 39 seasons in Lawrence. … Self is three wins shy of 800 for his career. He is 797-248 in 32 seasons including stops at Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois. …
Kansas is 8-5 in the Champions Classic and the Jayhawks have won seven of their last eight appearances in the event after last year’s 89-84 win against Kentucky in Chicago. … Kansas’ 92 points in Friday’s 92-89 win over North Carolina were most points KU has scored against an AP top 10 team since Nov. 6, 2018 vs. No. 10 Michigan State (92 points). It was the most points Kansas scored against an AP top 10 team in Allen Fieldhouse since Jan. 4, 2016 vs. No. 2 Oklahoma (109 points in 3 OT) and the most in a regulation game since Jan. 16, 2012 vs. No. 3 Baylor (92 points). …
Dajuan Harris is tied for third on the all-time Kansas career assist list with Cedric Hunter (1984-87) with 684. Harris now trails Jacque Vaughn (804, 1994-97) and Aaron Miles (954, 2002-05). … Harris is fifth on the Kansas career minutes list. He now has 4,137 minutes, passing Jeff Boschee who had 4,109 from 1999-2002. He trails Kirk Hinrich (2000-03) who is fourth in minutes played with 4,187. …Harris is tied for seventh in games played for Kansas (142). … Hunter Dickinson has 49 double-doubles in his career. … KJ Adams has scored in double figures 47 times.
