Michigan State went into the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday believing it could beat anyone. That's exactly what happened, as the Spartans took down Kentucky in convincing fashion, 83-66.
It was a statement win for 17th-ranked Michigan State, as the 15th-ranked Kentucky was tagged as the favorite in the much-anticipated matchup. The Spartans drained a season-high 11 three-pointers.
Spartans coach Tom Izzo, however, pumped the brakes on the hype surrounding their team after their resounding victory. Michigan State remained undefeated at 4-0, while Kentucky fell to 3-2.
“Kentucky did not play as well as they've been playing. I hope we get some credit for that, but I think they just missed some shots and did some things early. I didn't think we played well early,” said Izzo, as quoted by Kentucky reporter Cole Parke.
The Spartans shot 50% from the field, while limiting the Wildcats to just 35%. They also had 25 assists and led by as much as 24 points. They, however, had more turnovers with 13, compared to Kentucky's nine.
“Don't be fooled, we weren't that good because we don't shoot the ball that well. They weren't that bad because they do shoot the ball well and missed a lot of shots,” added Izzo.
Jaxon Kohler led Michigan State with 20 points on 8-of-12 field goals, five rebounds, and two assists. Kur Teng chipped in 15 points, including three three-pointers in 18 minutes off the bench.
They entered the game shooting just 21.7% from beyond the arc—fourth-worst in the Division I, according to a report from the Associated Press.
