Champions Classic: Michigan State vs. Kansas preview – 3 things fans need to know

The No. 10 ranked Michigan State Spartans square off against the No. 1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks in the Champions Classic and here are three things college basketball fans need to know leading up to the big game.

With most of the top talent every year going directly to the NBA, college basketball teams need to continuously recruit talented and highly touted players to make sure they will be able to continue to compete every March.

Both Michigan State and Kansas were no exception to this, with Kansas losing their top three scorers from last season and Michigan State losing their leading scorer and fifth leading scorer to NBA draft declarations. This means that this top 10 matchup to kick off the start of the college basketball season will feature quite a few unfamiliar faces.

How does Michigan State replace Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr.?

Miles Bridges averaged 17.1 points and seven rebounds a game, while Jaren Jackson Jr. put up 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds a game. With these players off into the NBA, the Spartans will need a trio of juniors to pick up the production these two left. Power forward Nick Ward will need to continue to dominate the boards with guards Cassius Winston and Joshua Langford spreading the floor to create open opportunities for the rest of the team.

These players averaged 11-13 points last season, but with a recruiting class that only features three recruits in the ESPN top 100 and none in the top 60. Winston, Ward and Langford will be heavily relied on the provide the Spartans with scoring and leadership against Kansas, while the rest of the young roster gets used to the speed of college basketball

How can Kansas recover from losing their top three scoring options?

Unlike Michigan State, Kansas put together another solid recruiting class with three commitments from players ranked in the top 30 of the ESPN top 100. This class is led by guard Quentin Grimes from The Woodlands College Park High School in Texas. With the departure of Big 12 Player of the Year Devonte’ Graham, Grimes will be needed to provide offensive scoring. Kansas will also be able to rely on Lagerald Vick, the only senior of the Kansas roster, to provide the Jayhawks with a veteran spark. Kansas is also bringing back seven-foot center Udoka Azubuike. This will be vital for the Jayhawks against the Spartans because of his height and experience advantage over the Michigan State big men. Most importantly, Kansas will have Memphis transfer Dedric Lawson who might be their best player who can do a little bit of everything on the court.

This is a measuring stick game and a potential Final Four preview

Michigan State and Kansas are both storied programs with a long history of success. The winner of this game will obviously get a confidence boost heading into the rest of their non-conference schedule, but no matter the result, this is still a long season to go through. Kansas coach Bill Self and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo are two of the best, so the team on the losing side of this game will undoubtedly learn and grow from the defeat to make sure they are equipped to stay at the top of the rankings and to make a push once March comes around. Don’t be surprised if both these teams meet again deep in the NCAA Tournament.