The Kentucky Wildcats have looked the part of a top-10 team when battling mid-major competition this season. When they’ve faced potential Final Four contenders, though? Not so much.
No. 12 Kentucky was beaten up and thrown onto Madison Square Garden’s sidewalk in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night, falling 83-66 to No. 17 Michigan State. The Spartans — who entered the game shooting just 21.7% from 3-point range in 2025 — connected on 50% (11-of-22) of their long-distance attempts against the Wildcats.
Michigan State was DOMINANT against #12 Kentucky11-22 (50%) 3PT32-64 (50%) FG8-10 (80%) FT+14 on the glass+12 on assistsSome vintage Michigan State basketball on display tonight pic.twitter.com/FFXIP86ZnA
— Michigan State Content (@msucontent) November 19, 2025Michigan State’s hot shooting obviously didn’t help Kentucky’s chances, but the bigger story was the Wildcats’ lack of physicality. No Kentucky player had more than 4 rebounds; 4 different Spartans recorded at least 5 rebounds. Michigan State also had 25 assists on 32 made shots.
No matter which way you slice it, the Wildcats were utterly dominated in this game. They failed to show the grit and resolve that helped them climb back in the game against Louisville, perhaps because Jaland Lowe was not on the court. It’s also clear that Kentucky’s highly talented players are operating on different wavelengths right now.
ESPN's @KrisBudden reports that Kentucky's players were "barking at each other" in the timeout down 14, prompting Mark Pope to step and tell them to get on the same page.
— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) November 19, 2025Four Wildcats scored in double-figures, though no one had more than 12 points. Otega Oweh led the way with 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting. Michigan State got 20 from Jaxon Kohler on 8-of-12 shooting.
There’s still a lot of time left in the season, but there is definitely cause for concern if you’re Big Blue Nation. Performances like these, when taking on the types of foes you’ll be facing daily once you get into SEC play, can leave even the most optimistic person feeling blue.
For now, BBN must hope the team resolves its issues versus Loyola MD (Nov. 21) and Tennessee Tech (Nov. 26) before hosting North Carolina on Dec. 2.
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