No. 18 Michigan State pulled away from No. 17 Kentucky for an 80-61 victory in the first game of the 2025 Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Spartans led 44-27 at halftime behind strong shooting and rebounding. The win improves Michigan State to 4-0, while Kentucky falls to 3-2.
The Champions Classic kicked off Tuesday night in New York with a lopsided affair between Michigan State and Kentucky. The Spartans, coached by Tom Izzo, controlled the game from the outset, building a 17-point halftime lead through efficient offense and stout defense.
Michigan State shot 51.5% from the field in the first half, including 7-of-13 from three-point range, and outrebounded Kentucky 24-14. Jaxon Kohler led the way with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Jeremy Fears Jr. recorded a career-high 13 assists. Every Spartan except freshman Jordan Scott scored at least one point, showcasing the team's depth. Coen Carr added a highlight-reel alley-oop dunk early in the second half.
Kentucky struggled offensively, shooting 28.6% in the first half and managing just eight field goals. Denzel Aberdeen paced the Wildcats with nine points, but Otega Oweh was held to five. The Wildcats mounted a brief 9-2 run in the second half to cut the deficit to 10 points, but Michigan State responded with an 8-0 spurt to seal the blowout.
'We didn't defend well, but we made shots, and when you make shots, you feel better,' Izzo said at halftime.
The second matchup features No. 5 Duke against No. 24 Kansas at 9 p.m. ET. Kansas will be without star freshman Darryn Peterson due to a hamstring injury; he averaged 21.5 points in his two games played. Duke's Cameron Boozer has been dominant, averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists. The Blue Devils are 10.5-point favorites with an over/under of 148.5 points.
