Champions Classic guide: Duke-Kansas, Kentucky-Michigan State - ESPN

The No. 17 Michigan State Spartans took a commanding lead against the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats, closing out the first of two 2025 State Farm Champions Classic showdowns with an 83-66 win.

Men's college basketball reporters Myron Medcalf and Jeff Borzello break down what the result means, plus what to watch between No. 5 Duke Blue Devils and No. 24 Kansas Jayhawks in the second game of Tuesday night's event at Madison Square Garden.

Final: Michigan State 83, Kentucky 66

How Michigan State won: Kentucky coach Mark Pope probably knew it would be a long night when sophomore guard Kur Teng (15 points) — who scored just 10 points over 55 minutes of playing time all of last season — hit an off-balanced shot with seconds to play in the first half. The buzzer shot capped a 30-10 Michigan State run that broke Kentucky's will. Jaxon Kohler (20 points) outclassed Kentucky's frontcourt, and the Spartans, who had shot 21.7% from 3-point range (352nd out of 365 Division I teams) entering the season, made 52% of those shots Tuesday night. Tom Izzo also managed to stall the Wildcats' fast-paced offense (ranked eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency entering the night).

It was like watching a balloon slowly deflate as Izzo's squad robbed Kentucky, a dangerous team in transition, of its greatest asset. Overall, Michigan State's hot shooting, defensive strategy and toughness (Kentucky didn't have an offensive rebound in the first 10 minutes) fueled the 17-point win. — Medcalf

Kur Teng's 3rd triple pads Michigan State's lead

What the loss means for Kentucky: Is something wrong with Kentucky? After last week's loss to Louisville, Pope said something had happened with his team before the game, though refused to offer any details. Another