Michigan State Faces UConn in Top 25 Exhibition Showdown Tuesday Night

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Michigan State Faces UConn in Top 25 Exhibition Showdown Tuesday Night

On Tuesday, October 28, Michigan State’s men’s basketball team will face No. 4/4 Connecticut in a highly anticipated exhibition match. This game will take place at the PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut.

Game Details and Broadcast Information

The contest will be broadcast live on WFSB for local viewers in Hartford and can also be streamed through UConn+ for a fee of $7.99. Fans can listen to the Spartan Media Network, with play-by-play commentary by Will Tieman, color analysis from Matt Steigenga, and studio host Zach Surdenik.

Spartans’ Season Overview

Michigan State opened its season with a successful 75-66 victory against Bowling Green on October 26. The exhibition against UConn marks the second and final exhibition game before the Spartans begin their regular season against Colgate on November 3.

Past Season Highlights

2024-25 record: 30-7 overall, 17-3 in the Big Ten.
Claimed the Big Ten regular season title, the 11th under Coach Tom Izzo.
Advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight and finished ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25.

Returning and Key Players

Head Coach Tom Izzo, entering his 31st season, will have to fill gaps left by three starters and four letterwinners. Notable losses include:

Jaden Akins – All-Big Ten Third Team, All-Defensive Team.
Jase Richardson – All-Big Ten Third Team, All-Freshman Team.

Nevertheless, the team retains talented players like:

Jaxon Kohler – Senior forward, averaging 7.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Jeremy Fears Jr. – Redshirt sophomore point guard, averaged 7.2 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Coen Carr – Junior forward, known for athleticism, averaged 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

New Additions and Transfers

This season, MSU recruited four transfers:

Trey Fort (Samford) – Led his former team with 14.6 points per game.
Kaleb Glenn (Florida Atlantic) – All-Conference selection but sidelined due to injury.
Divine Ugochukwu (Miami) – Contributor with prior freshman experience.
Denham Wojcik (Harvard) – Missed last year due to surgery.

Two freshmen, Jordan Scott and Cam Ward, are expected to have a significant impact this season. Ward, the No. 50 recruit nationally, broke the scoring record in Maryland.

Competition with UConn

Michigan State’s history with UConn features eight regular-season meetings, split evenly at four wins each. The Spartans won their last two encounters, including a 64-60 victory at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas in November 2021. UConn’s last victory was a 60-54 win in the NCAA Tournament East Regional Final on March 30, 2014.

Conclusion

The upcoming exhibition game against Connecticut presents a crucial test for Michigan State as they fine-tune their roster ahead of the regular season. Fans are eager to see how the returning players and new transfers gel on the court.