Who’s Playing
Michigan State Spartans @ Arizona Wildcats
Current Records: Michigan State 3-2, Arizona 5-0
How To Watch
When: Thursday, November 23, 2023 at 4 p.m. ETWhere: Acrisure Arena — Palm Springs, CaliforniaTV: FOXFollow: CBS Sports AppFubo (Try for free) Fubo’s holiday offer just kicked off – For a limited time, new subscribers can save $40 on Fubo’s Pro, Elite, and Premier plans ($20 off the first and second months)
What to Know
Michigan State has played every game this season on their home court, but they’ll have to hit the road on Thursday. They will face off against the Arizona Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. ET at Acrisure Arena. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Michigan State was the big favorite in their most recent match, and for good reason. They steamrolled past the Braves 81-49 at home. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 44-16.
Michigan State can attribute much of their success to Tre Holloman, who scored 17 points along with 5 assists and 2 steals. Coen Carr was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with 3 rebounds and 1 assist.
Meanwhile, Arizona put another one in the bag on Sunday to keep their perfect season alive. They put a hurting on the Mavericks at home to the tune of 101-56. Winning is a bit easier when you work as a team to rack up 12 more assists than your opponent, as Arizona did.
Arizona got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Pelle Larsson out in front who scored 13 points along with 3 steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Oumar Ballo, who scored 15 points along with 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
The Spartans now have a winning record of 3-2. As for the Wildcats, they have yet to lose a contest at home this season, leaving them with a 5-0 record.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Michigan State have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 39.6 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Arizona struggles in that department as they’ve been even better at 49.2 per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Michigan State couldn’t quite finish off Arizona when the teams last played back in November of 2016 and fell 65-63. Can Michigan State avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Series History
Arizona won the only game these two teams have played in the last 7 years.
Nov 11, 2016 – Arizona 65 vs. Michigan State 63
