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Michigan State vs. Notre Dame: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

By Tristan Freeman

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 22: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish with the 2017 Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 22, 2017 in Lahaina, Hawaii. Notre Dame won the game 67-66. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 22: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish with the 2017 Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 22, 2017 in Lahaina, Hawaii. Notre Dame won the game 67-66. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /
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With the Big Ten Conference getting absolutely destroyed, the Michigan State Spartans desperately needs a win for their league. Will they get it against a top-five Notre Dame?

TV schedule: Thursday, Nov 30, 7:00 p.m. ET. ESPN

Arena: Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge has been a disaster for the mid-western territories. Part of it has been that the Atlantic Coast Conference is still the best league from top to bottom (Pittsburgh didn’t participate, denying a win for the Big Ten). That leaves it up to Michigan State to get back some pride for the league.

The Spartans (5-1) won the Victory Bracket of the PK80, winning each game in a unique way. Miles Bridges either didn’t play or was completely limited due to his ankle injury. That turned out to be a blessing in surprise, as a different role player stepped up in each game.

Matt McQuaid had 20 to beat DePaul, Cassius Winston had 28 to take care of UConn, and Joshua Langston had 23 (which almost was enough to beat UNC by himself). Considering how the deepest frontcourt in the nation was quiet all tournament, it has to make Spartan Nation happy to know that they can rely on their perimeter players to win big games. But they’ll need everyone to play well to knock off their next opponent.

Mike Brey will take his Notre Dame (6-0) team to East Lansing coming off a Maui Invitational championship. After handling two weaker teams in Chaminade and LSU, they faced a top-ten Wichita State team in the finals. The Shockers led the entire way until the final minutes, where the Irish led by seniors Matt Farrell and Bonzie Colson started and finished the comeback.

To some degree, blame can go to Wichita for some mistakes, but it’s surprising that a team with two underdogs who have fought for everything would continue that same fight to the very end.

Farrell (17.5 ppg and 4.3 apg) and Colson (20.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg) are performing to the All-American potential expected of them. But it’s been Temple Gibbs (15.5 ppg) who’s been the surprise so far for the team and that’s help the Irish have the No. 2 team in offensive rating stats.

Both teams are sitting pretty right now in the basketball landscape. Each has a great non-conference win on their resume, have full health on their rosters, and are getting contributions for unexpected players to make them even bigger threats.

Next: Michigan State-Notre Dame by the positions

This might not have the same feeling or exposure of a Michigan State-Duke, but people will be fools if they don’t view Notre Dame as a national title contender. Personally speaking, if Colson was 6’10 and not 6’5 and Farrell was more than just a scrappy 6’0 undersized guard, there would be more buzz about this team. The only way to get that buzz is by beating the No. 3 team in the country. Will they on the road? I’m just not sure they can.

Prediction: Michigan State 76 – Notre Dame 71

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