The top two teams in the country face off tonight when the Michigan State Spartans and Kentucky Wildcats face off in the State Farm Champions Classic. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the odds for the game have Michigan State as a slight favorite to win.
What a group of teams we have here in Chicago to play at the United Center. Duke and Kansas will play in the other contest tonight as four of the top five teams in the country see action on the same floor against each other. In this game we have the top two teams in America going head to head in what should be a pretty fun atmosphere and great game.
Kentucky coach John Calipari recently said it "wasn't fair" that his team had to play Michigan State so early in the season. Not quite sure what kind of reaction he was hoping to get from that statement, but he's the top-ranked team in the country. If you're going to build a team full of freshmen and sophomores and expect to go deep into the NCAA tournament, shouldn't this be a game you want your kids to play?
This will be the first meeting between the two schools in eight seasons. Kentucky comes into the contest with a 2-0 record, having won their opening games by an average of 31 points. Michigan State has won their only game of the season, racking up 98 points in a victory over McNeese State. Both teams love to hit the boards, so a rebounding advantage tonight could differentiate which team can gain an advantage. Michigan State is favored by a couple of points, but that is probably due to their experienced club compared to a Kentucky team that will primarily count on six freshmen.
Julius Randle is the best one of those frosh and he's going to pose a problem for the Spartans tonight. They'll probably oppose him with Adreian Payne, who has both size and athleticism. The Spartans will look for Gary Harris to keep them going offensively. Both of these teams have a lot of weapons but Michigan State is a team that can play with anybody in the country. Keith Appling at the point position has an advantage with his senior experience. That's big in these types of games, where it could come down to crunch time and a team needs a player like that to help guide them to the win.
Look for an up and down game at times. Kentucky will want to push Michigan State because the young kids don't know any better. The Spartans probably want to slow the game down and play in the half court, but they should be able to play a wide open game as well. We like them to get it done tonight.
Free Pick: Michigan State 77, Kentucky 70
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