Kansas vs. Michigan State: 5 biggest questions for the Champions Classic battle

Kansas vs. Michigan State: 5 biggest questions for 2018 Champions Classic battle

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 18: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on against the Syracuse Orange in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 18, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – JANUARY 4: Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates his made basket during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Breslin Center on January 4, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

3. Can Michigan State shoot their way to a victory?

The Spartans were a strong offense overall last season, ranking in the top-10 nationally in offensive rating. And led by Winston, Michigan State also was top-20 in three-point percentage at 40%, going up to 42% in conference play. Besides Winston, they also return Joshua Langford and Matt McQuaid, who each shot around 40% from deep themselves. With both Jackson Jr. and Miles Bridges off to the NBA, it puts pressure on the guards to deliver. They tend to deliver from beyond the arc, so expect a good amount of attempts on Tuesday night.

Kansas was used to opponents taking a bunch of threes on them last season. Teams shot an average of 24 attempts from behind the arc and dealt with a ton of shootouts in the Big 12 Conference. A big part of it is the offensive pace that Kansas dictates. But what happened against Villanova in the Final Four was an extreme example of the Jayhawk’s weakness.

Michigan State is unlikely to match Kansas from a possession standpoint and will need to get an edge from long distance. Look for at least 25 deep attempts easily from the Spartans in the game, with 10+ being the magic number to have a good chance at winning the game.

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