Duke and Michigan State don’t shy away from the spotlight, especially early in the season. It won’t be any different this year when the Blue Devils and Spartans, two of the most storied programs in college basketball, tip things off at the Champions Classic on Tuesday in Indianapolis.
How to watch Duke vs. Michigan State: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Mike Krzyzewski and Duke have had Tom Izzo and Michigan State’s number, will the trend continue at the Coaches Classic?
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Jabari Parker who? Jahlil Okafor is already making everyone at Duke forget about the departed lottery pick -- especially after the loss to Mercer in last year's tournament. Okafor, the possible No. 1 pick in next year's NBA draft, brings a polished game to Mike Krzyzewski and a Duke team that is on the short list of national title contenders. Okafor's offensive skill set is already promising, but his size should help Duke on the defensive end, where they've struggled in recent years. This Duke team trends young, but returners with experience like Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon make Duke even more dangerous.
Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans lost Garry Harris and Adreian Payne to the NBA, but bring back a slew of role players from that squad will need to make a jump for this year's team to contend. Branden Dawson brings rebounding and an improved offensive game back for his senior season, but he's really all MSU has in terms of big men. Denzel Valentine is a do-it-all wing who sometimes tries to do too much and Travis Trice is a valuable senior point guard who could make a difference for the Spartans. It's a rebuilding year for Michigan State, but don't expect them to be a pushover.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Watch ESPN.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Duke is ranked No. 4 in the AP poll and No. 3 in the Coaches. Michigan State is ranked No. 18 in both polls. Duke is 1-0 this season after a 109-59 drubbing of Fairfield. Michigan State struggled to put away Navy, but won 64-59 to start the season 1-0. Duke is 8-2 all time against Michigan State, the last win coming in the Sweet 16 of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Odds: Duke is favored by 7.5, per OddsShark.
Two things at stake
Duke has the consensus top freshman (maybe player) in college basketball, and this game will be Okafor’s first chance to let the nation know what he’s capable of.
Can Izzo turn things around against Krzyzewski? Both are considered top coaches in the game, but Coach K clearly has Izzo’s number. Expectations aren’t through the roof for this Spartan team, but a win against Duke might change things.
One big matchup
The rest of Duke vs. Michigan State. Michigan State doesn’t have a way to contain Okafor. He’s very likely to get his, but can Michigan State tame the rest of the Duke offense? If Dawson can get some buckets down low against a suspect interior defense and the Spartans shoot well while holding the rest of the Blue Devils, this game will stay closer than expected.
Further reading
For more on Duke, the Duke Basketball Report has you covered. For Michigan State coverage, head to The Only Colors.
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