Memphis vs Michigan State: 2024-25 College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Memphis takes on Michigan State in the first semifinal of the Maui Invitational. Will the Tigers pull off another major win in Hawaii or can the Spartans put together another victory?

TV schedule: Tuesday, November 26, 6:00 pm ET. ESPN

Arena: Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii

Quietly putting together a great November, Memphis (5-0) has already exceeded expectations in a major way in Maui. The Tigers beat a few solid teams like Missouri and San Francisco but got one of the upsets of the year by handling UConn in the first round of this event, holding on for an incredible overtime victory.

Tulsa transfer PJ Haggerty (22.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg) has been the constant on offense, continuing his hot start with 22 points and 5 assists against the Huskies on Monday. Another major offseason addition that’s paid off has been Tyrese Hunter (13.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.3 apg), fresh off a game-high 26 points the previous night against UConn. Fellow transfer Colby Rogers (11.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg) had 19 points of his own, as Memphis’s best each showed out when needed most.

Memphis is not a ranked team, though a great performance in Maui is certainly going to change that if they keep winning these games. The Tigers are up to 30th in KenPom, with an offense that continues to do enough to get the job done. The defense had a questionable performance, with the Huskies really catching fire late outside the arc, but it was enough to get them to this semifinal.

The story was different for Michigan State (5-1), the only team to win comfortably on Monday night in Maui. This season has featured a tough loss against Kansas but decent showings in their other performances. The Spartans entered this tournament as a bit of an underdog compared to the ranked teams in the event, but can this team pull off more heroics?

The playmaker in the opening weeks has been Jaden Akins (14.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg), who has taken up a more significant leadership role this season. Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler (11.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) has been another name to watch for these Spartans, though their win over Colorado came from a very balanced offensive attack. Keep an eye on freshman Jase Richardson (8.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg) who came off the bench to lead Michigan State with 13 points in Monday’s victory.

You won’t find the Spartans in the national rankings as we mentioned earlier, and this team is only 40th in KenPom. Many past Spartans teams have had higher expectations or achieved national rankings by this point, but could this team be flying under the radar with their turnover this past offseason? They’ve been far from perfect and are terrible outside the arc, but this team finds ways to win games.

How will Memphis perform after that thrilling game against the Huskies yesterday? If they can make their outside shots and play even a little bit better on defense, they can have the same type of performance and build a nice lead over the Spartans. That kind of performance would be detrimental to a Michigan State team that ranks near the bottom in the entire nation in 3-point shooting.

A second game in two days is no easy task. The Spartans didn’t have the stress of a close game with an extra period and also have a deeper lineup, but the star players on Memphis outshine Michigan State’s starting five. This looks like a close game that could go either way, but we’re leaning on the Tigers and their talent, especially if they can build any kind of early lead.

Prediction: Memphis 78, Michigan State 73