No. 18/18 Michigan State closes out non-conference play on Monday, hosting Western Michigan

On By Littum

East Lansing, Mich. – The Michigan State men’s basketball team will play its final game of the 2024 calendar year on Monday, Dec. 30, hosting rival Western Michigan at the Breslin Center at 7 p.m. 3 p.m

The game will be broadcast live on BTN, with Jason Ross Jr. and Stephen Bardo calls everything action. The Spartan Media Network radio call can be heard nationwide and online at MSUSpartans.com, with Will Tieman handling play-by-play and Matt Steigenga serving as color analyst and Zach Surdenik serving as studio host. The game can also be heard on channel 380 on SiriusXM and on the SiriusXM app.

About the Spartans

  • Michigan State enters Monday’s game with a 10-2 overall record (2-0 B1G).

  • The Spartans are ranked No. 23 in the NCAA Net Rankings, no. 15 per KenPom.com and no. 21 in the ESPN BPI.

  • MSU wins 86-69 over Florida Atlantic on Saturday, December 21 with sophomore forward Cohen Carr leading four players in scoring with a career-high 17 points and eight rebounds.

  • After playing 10 games through the first 33 days of the 2024-25 season, Monday’s home game is just the third in the last 23 days for the Spartans.

  • Including a summer trip to Spain in August, an exhibition game at Northern Michigan (head coach Tom Izzo‘s alma mater) on Oct. 13 and travels to Atlanta (Champions Classic, Hawaii (Maui Invitational) and Minnesota (Big Ten opener), the Spartans have logged more than 11,500 miles of travel in the past five months.

  • The Spartans, winners of five straight and eight of their last nine games, have just one player (Jaden Akins) score in double figures, with two averaging at least 9.0 ppg, four at least 8.0 ppg and five averaging at least 4.0 ppg.

  • MSU has relied on its depth, with six players averaging at least 20.0 minutes per game. game and averaged seven in at least 19.7 minutes.

  • Akins leads the team with 13.3 ppg and is second with 4.4 rpg, while freshman guard Jase Richardson is averaging 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists and senior forward Frankie Fiddler is third with 9.5 points while connecting on a team-best 90.9 percent of his free throws (50-of-55).

  • Junior forward Jaxon Kohlerwho has four double-doubles this year, scores 8.7 ppg and leads the team with 8.8 rebounds per game. battle, 6. in the Big Ten.

  • Redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. averages 7.8 points and a team-leading 5.9 assists per game, which is No. 4 in the Big Ten while a junior Tre Holloman adds 7.3 points and 3.8 assists (11th in B1G).

  • MSU averages 23.6 FT attempts per game (No. 41 in the country) after going to the line 17.2 times per game in 2023-24, and the Spartans rank as the no. 11 in the country in free throw percentage (80.6%) and no. 14 free throws per games (19.0).

  • MSU also ranks as no. 5 in the country in rebound margin (+12.2), no. 10 in defensive rebounds per game (29.6/g) and no. 12 in rebounds per game (42.42).

About the Broncos

  • Western Michigan enters Monday’s game with a 3-8 overall record and is coming off a 76-73 loss at home to Valparaiso on Dec. 20.

  • The Broncos have lost their last four games, including a close 77-69 decision at Dayton on Dec. 3.

  • Western Michigan has four players scoring in double figures, led by junior guard Chansey Willis Jr., a Detroit native who transferred from Henry Ford College and has played three games this season, leading the team with 17.0 points per game. game while adding 5.7 rebounds. and 5.7 assists.

  • Junior forward Markhi Strickland is second on the team with 12.5 points, senior forward Owen Lobsinger is third with 11.4 ppg and a team-best 7.0 rebounds, while junior guard JaVaughn Hannah is averaging 11.2 points per game.

A homecoming of sorts

  • The game against Western Michigan marks a return for current Broncos Head Coach Dwayne Stephens, in his third year at the helm of the program in Kalamazoo.

  • Stephens played at Michigan State from 1989-93, was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection as a junior and was a team co-captain in 1992-93, averaging 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

  • He returned to MSU and spent 19 years as an assistant coach for Tom Izzo … During his time on the Spartan sideline, MSU won six Big Ten Championships, four Big Ten Tournament titles and advanced to five Final Fours.

  • WMU Associate Head Coach Chris Fowler and Assistant Coach Manny Dosanjh both spent time at Michigan State as graduate assistants.

History of the series

  • Michigan State and Western Michigan will meet for the 40th time on Monday, December 30.

  • The Spartans lead the head-to-head series, 28-11, including a 22-7 record at home.

  • MSU, winners of the last eight meetings between the teams, won the last game played, 90-46, on November 12, 2021 at the Breslin Center.

  • The last win for Western Michigan in the series was an 83-79 decision on November 28, 1981 at Michigan State’s Jenison Fieldhouse.