Colorado vs Michigan State: 2024 Maui Invitational game preview, TV schedule
Michigan State and Colorado aim to get in the winner's bracket of the Maui Invitational. Who will get the win on Monday in the tournament?
TV schedule: Monday, November 25th, 5:00 pm ET (approx). ESPN2
Arena: Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii
The Maui Invitational features four top-10-caliber teams, with at least one ranked team in each game. The lone exception is this game, though it does feature a Hall of Fame head coach. Tom Izzo's Michigan State (4-1) has a close loss to Kansas on its resume, coming off wins over Samford and Bowling Green in the past week.
The Spartans are led by senior guard Jaden Akins (14.6 ppg and 6.2 rpg), the lone returning starter from last season. South Dakota transfer Frankie Fidler is second on the team with 11.8 ppg, while Jaxon Kohler has emerged as the team's best frontcourt player, producing 10.2 ppg and 8.0 rpg.
Michigan State is hoping for a high-major win and can do so against Colorado (4-0). The Buffs have four wins against mid-major opponents, coming off a 22-point win over Harvard. They're a balanced unit that had to replace a ton of production from last year's NCAA Tournament team. Their top two scorers are in the frontcourt in Andrej Jakimovski and Elijah Malone, who are averaging 14+ ppg and 5+ rpg. Javon Ruffin (11.5 ppg) and Julian Hammond (9.5 ppg and 3.0 apg) have taken advantage of larger roles in the offense, with the team shooting over 40% from deep, good for top-25 nationally.
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This is a game where both teams use a balanced approach to scoring, though Colorado is more efficient inside while the Spartans have better perimeter options. It should be a competitive game that could go down to the wire, but Coach Izzo will find a way to win at least one in this event, starting with this one.
Prediction: Michigan State 74, Colorado 68