Kansas basketball vs Michigan State prediction: 3 things to consider in Champions Classic

LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball will go up against Michigan State on Tuesday in Atlanta, with the Champions Classic tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. (CT).

It’s been some time since these two teams last faced off. That was back during the 2021-22 season, also as a part of the Champions Classic. The Jayhawks beat the Spartans in that matchup, and KU head coach Bill Self will be looking for another win against MSU head coach Tom Izzo.

Here are a few things to consider, as well as a prediction, ahead of No. 1 Kansas (2-0) playing Michigan State (2-0):

How to watch Kansas basketball play Michigan State in Champions Classic

Bill Self previews Michigan State

As Self talked postgame this past Friday, after the win against UNC, he allowed he hadn’t watched Michigan State yet. Although he knew a lot about the Spartans’ personnel, he hadn’t reached the stage where he’d started to study them intently. Self, though, is no stranger to facing Izzo.

Self explained playing Izzo’s teams is different because Izzo runs more sets than anyone. Self will need to get his guys prepared for what MSU is capable of. At the time, ahead of tip-off Tuesday, Self anticipated a multi-day scout of Michigan State.

AJ Storr is coming off of an improved performance

It’s taken some time for junior guard AJ Storr to acclimate to the Kansas program, after transferring in from Wisconsin, but it seemed like Storr took a significant step forward during the Jayhawks’ game against UNC. He scored 13 points, and added a few assists and a couple rebounds. From Self’s perspective, everyone saw a bit of a different player in Storr when the lights came on.

The way Kansas wants to play, Self explained, focuses on ball and body movement so the ball doesn’t stick. Storr, Self added, sometimes tends to hold onto the ball. But that wasn’t as much of a factor against UNC and Self, who praised the approach Storr’s had in recent weeks and highlighted the extent to which Storr got downhill with the ball.

Kansas’ depth is…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kansas-basketball-vs-michigan-state-151357585.html

Author : The Topeka Capital-Journal

Publish date : 2024-11-12 15:13:00

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