No. 18/18 Michigan States Closes Out Non-Conference Play on Monday, Hosting Western Michigan

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State's men's basketball team plays its final game of the 2024 calendar year on Monday, Dec. 30, hosting in-state rival Western Michigan at the Breslin Center at 3 p.m.

The game will air live on BTN, with Jason Ross Jr. and Stephen Bardo calling all of the action. The Spartan Media Network radio call can be heard state-wide and on the web at MSUSpartans.com, with Will Tieman handling the play-by-play and Matt Steigenga serving as the color analyst, and Zach Surdenik is the 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 is coming off an 86-69 win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Dec. 21, with sophomore forward Coen Carr leading four players in scoring with a career-high 17 points and eight rebounds.
After playing 10 games over the first 33 days of the 2024-25 season, Monday's game at home 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 trips 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 last five-plus months.
The Spartans, winners of five-straight and eight of its last nine games, have just one player (Jaden Akins) scoring in double figures, with two averaging at least 9.0 ppg, four at least 8.0 ppg and five scoring at least 4.0 ppg.
MSU has relied on its depth, with six players averaging at least 20.0 minutes per game and seven averaging 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 Fidler is third with 9.5 points, while connecting on a team-best 90.9 percent of is his free throws (50-of-55).
Junior forward Jaxon Kohler, who has four double-doubles this year, is scoring 8.7 ppg and leads the team with 8.8 rebounds per game, 6th in the Big Ten.
Redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. is averaging 7.8 points and a team-leading 5.9 assists per game, which ranks 4th in the Big Ten, while junior Tre Holloman adds 7.3 points and 3.8 assists (11th in B1G).
MSU is averaging 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 No. 11 in the country in free throw percentage (80.6%) and No. 14 in free throws made per game (19.0).
MSU also ranks 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 the game on Monday 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, 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 Sort of Homecoming

The game against Western Michigan is 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 the team's 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 to 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.

Series History

Michigan State and Western Michigan meet for the 40th time on Monday, Dec. 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 Nov. 12, 2021 at the Breslin Center.
The last win for Western Michigan in the series was an 83-79 decision on Nov. 28, 1981 at Michigan State's Jenison Fieldhouse.

No. 18/18 Michigan States Closes Out Non-Conference Play on Monday, Hosting Western Michigan

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jaden Akins

Coen Carr

Jeremy Fears Jr.

Frankie Fidler

Tre Holloman

Jaxon Kohler

Jase Richardson

No. 18/18 Michigan States Closes Out Non-Conference Play on Monday, Hosting Western Michigan

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jaden Akins

Coen Carr

Jeremy Fears Jr.

Frankie Fidler

Tre Holloman

Jaxon Kohler

Jase Richardson

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