LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Mark Pope a short while back described Kentucky's schedule like this: "Big game, big game, big game, big game."
Tonight is the next one, another chance for the No. 12 Wildcats to start building their resume.
Their first foray into marquee opposition didn't go well: a chaotic, transition-heavy road loss at Louisville. Tuesday night in the Champions Classic presents a new test and a bigger stage: Madison Square Garden against No. 17 Michigan State, a program with blue-blood pedigree and Tom Izzo's postseason résumé to match.
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This is the kind of game that can either steady the Wildcats' trajectory or amplify early concerns. A neutral-site victory over an AP Top 25 opponent might not paper over the Louisville result but it would show that this team, and this backcourt, are built for big-stage games away from Rupp Arena.
This is not just about bouncing back — it's about proving up.
The Wildcats have shown flashes of brilliance and vulnerability through four games (and two exhibitions). Michigan State is tested, tough and exactly the kind of opponent that exposes weakness. That's the point.
The Champions Classic is never just an early-season spectacle. It's a measuring stick and sometimes a microscope.
Win this, and Kentucky's momentum — and backcourt confidence — hit another gear. Lose it, and the questions that lingered from Louisville only get louder.
The Narrative: Kentucky's Identity Check
The biggest question facing Mark Pope's second Kentucky team remains unchanged: Who's running the show? With point guard Jaland Lowe reinjuring his shoulder in practice last week, senior Denzel Aberdeen is the starter by necessity, and so far, he's been electric.
Aberdeen dropped 26 in the Louisville loss, leads the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), and boasts a sparkling 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. But Kentucky is now facing a defense that has already flustered Arkansas and limited San Jose State to 60 points.
Beyond Aberdeen, sophomore Collin Chandler has emerged as a perimeter sniper (13 made 3s, 56.5%), and Queens native Mouhamed Dioubate is coming off a 20-point, 11-rebound night as he returns to play in front of a home crowd at MSG.
The Matchup
This one might be decided by tempo, but it could be won on the glass.
Michigan State senior Jaxon Kohler is a double-double machine (14.3 points, 13.3 rebounds) and one of the most physical rebounders in the country. He'll battle Kentucky's tandem of Brandon Garrison (80% FG) and freshman Malachi Moreno (7.5 rebounds per game) in a battle beneath the rim.
Meanwhile, the backcourt duel features two vastly different styles. Fears Jr. is a ball-control orchestrator with elite court vision. Aberdeen is an attacking, shot-making scorer still learning the nuances of being a primary initiator.
Kentucky owns the statistical edge in offense (92.8 ppg vs. MSU's 76.0) and three-point shooting (.342 to MSU's woeful .217), while Michigan State thrives with physicality, rim protection and transition pressure.
Don't get the idea that the Spartans are static. Their 15.7 points per game in transition rank sixth nationally.
And while UK is deeper, with freshman Jasper Johnson and big man Andrija Jelavic providing legitimate minutes, Izzo's veteran-heavy rotation is built for the moment. Kentucky's bigs will also have to contend with 6-11 Carson Cooper, who adds 12 points and five rebounds and Coen Carr, an athletic small forward averaging 11.7 points and five rebounds. Off the bench, Michigan State brings in 6-9 freshman Cam Ward, who adds 10 points and six rebounds per game.
Kentucky struggled to contain Louisville defensively but has held its other three opponents to 60 points or fewer while limiting them to 34.4 percent shooting from the field and 26.7 percent from three-point range.Â
Series History & Storylines
- This is the 27th meeting between Kentucky and Michigan State. UK leads the series 14-12.
- The teams are 2-2 all-time in Champions Classic matchups.
- The last meeting came in 2022 — an 86-77 double-overtime win for Michigan State.
- Mark Pope has never faced Izzo, but Izzo is 6-4 all-time vs. UK.
- Kentucky is just 1-4 in its last five games at Madison Square Garden, though that win came vs. Michigan State in 2019
HOW TO WATCH
Tipoff: Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City
TV: ESPN (Dan Shulman play-by-play, Jay Bilas analyst, Kris Budden sideline. Streaming: ESPN app.
Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Jack Givens). Streaming: UKathletics.com
Coaches: Mark Pope is 214-121 in his 11th season overall and 27-13 in his second season at Kentucky. Tom Izzo is 740-302 in his 31st season at Michigan State.
Line: Kentucky is a 5.5-point favorite (DraftKings). Over/under: 153.5. Moneyline: Kentucky -205, Michigan State +170.
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