Michigan State basketball: Final score predictions vs. No. 1 Kansas

It’s not often that Michigan State basketball gets an opportunity to face the No. 1 team in the country as an unranked squad, but the Spartans are looking to make some waves in the college basketball world on Tuesday night.

Michigan State faces No. 1 Kansas in the annual Champions Classic and while UConn fans are busy complaining about the fact that the Huskies aren’t part of this event, Tom Izzo is busy game-planning for Hunter Dickinson and Co. A win for Izzo and the Spartans would shut the critics up and prove to the rest of the nation that the Hall of Famer still has it.

It’s not going to be easy, however.

Kansas had one of the best offseasons of any team in college basketball, snagging some of the nation’s top transfers and bringing Dickinson back for another season in the post. The Jayhawks are also coming off a huge top-10 victory over North Carolina.

So what we do think is going to happen on Tuesday night? It feels like everyone is predicting a Kansas win, but Michigan State fans have seen this story before. Our staff has spoke and these are our predictions.

Connor Muldowney: Honestly, if you asked me 1.5 weeks ago, I would’ve told you that Kansas would win easily, but after watching Michigan State through the first two games, I think this team is better than we thought. Michigan State hands tight and a late Jase Richardson three lifts the Spartans over the No. 1 team in the land. Michigan State 78, Kansas 75.

Emmett Matasovsky: Michigan State 77, Kansas 85

Brendon Pricco: Michigan State 79, Kansas 74

DailyMSU: Michigan State 76, Kansas 81

Owen Schuchaskie: Michigan State 75, Kansas 78

Anthony Garvert: Michigan State 76, Kansas 74

Maxwell Klitzke: Michigan State 77, Kansas 70

Zack Theis: Michigan State 75, Kansas 82

Chris Norman: Michigan State 70, Kansas 77

MilkManMSU: Michigan State 80, Kansas 85

Let’s hope that most of our writers are wrong.