Michigan State Basketball gets a measuring-stick night Tuesday in Chicago, where No. 5 Michigan State opens the 16th Champions Classic against No. 2 Duke at 7 p.m. ET on. The game arrives with a simple question attached to it: can the Spartans turn their speed into a win against a defense that has made life miserable for opponents early in the season?
That question starts with Jeremy Fears Jr., the preseason All-American and one of the favorites for national player of the year. Michigan State needs him to be more than a playmaker after he went 0-for-10 from the field against Duke last December, and the Spartans have reason to believe the pace can help. They have 56 fast-break points in their first two games this season, while Duke has 52, a sign that both teams want to push the ball rather than settle into a slow grind.
Duke brings a different edge. The Blue Devils are the only team in the country ranked in the top 10 in both block percentage and steal percentage, and they are second nationally in lowest average possession length at KenPom. That mix is what Michigan State has to solve if it wants to avoid a game that turns into a series of empty trips and rushed possessions. Duke also is seeking its 16th win against Tom Izzo, a number that underscores how often the matchup has tilted toward the Blue Devils.
Michigan State has not exactly been rolling through elite company either. The Spartans are trying to break a five-game losing streak against top-five opponents at neutral sites, a run that hangs over a matchup like this because the Champions Classic is built for exactly that kind of test. Michigan State committed 21 fouls against Quinnipiac and allowed 24 free throws, then saw Toledo attempt 29 free throws, with Cam Ward, Ethan Taylor and Jesse McCulloch each picking up at least three fouls against Toledo. That is the other side of the story for a team whose speed can look dangerous until whistles slow everything down.
There are still clues that Michigan State can make this uncomfortable. Jasiah Jervis led the Spartans in scoring against Toledo with four 3-pointers, and Anton Bonke has averaged 10.0 points and 10.0 rebounds through two games. Duke has its own interior force in Patrick Ngongba II, who scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds against Coastal Carolina and has been to the free throw line 16 times in two games. The second game in the doubleheader, No. 15 Kansas against No. 24 Kentucky at 9:30 p.m. ET on, gives the night more weight, but the first game is the one that will tell whether Michigan State can finally turn a big-stage chance into a result that lasts beyond Tuesday.
