Michigan State basketball vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies: Time, TV channel, stream info
That was needed. Very, very needed for Michigan State basketball.
Seemingly out of nowhere, the MSU basketball team looked like everything people thought they could be before the season when they were a consensus top-5 team in the nation. Through nine games, including five losses, they had been anything but a top-5 team. On Saturday, in front of a raucous Little Caesars Arena crowd, it all came together against an undefeated Baylor team.
Frankly, I'm not sure if it mattered who the Spartans played on Saturday, because the way they played, there isn't a college basketball team in the country who could have stuck with them. And that's both the exciting and frustrating part about this group for Tom Izzo and Spartan fans across the country.
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Right out of the gate, you could tell the Spartans had the energy, forcing an early shot-clock violation, and you could really tell the Spartans had an attack-first mindset on both sides of the floor. MSU finished the day with a season-high 15 steals, six more than they've had in any game this season. The turnovers created helped fuel the Spartans' fast-break offense and got them some easier looks. On offense, MSU scored 42 points in the paint, compared to 28 from Baylor, and that opened things up for the Spartans on the perimeter, where they hit 8 of 12 3-pointers, which was tied for the second most 3s they've had in a game this year but without a doubt their best percentage.
You can point to nearly any statistic, but ultimately, this was exactly what the doctor ordered for the Spartans. You could feel it. Time and time again, the Spartans kept finding themselves in close game situations and ultimately losing. Something just wasn't clicking, and knowing Izzo's program, there was eventually going to be that one game where it all kind of clicked.
The Spartans still have plenty of questions to answer, particularly for close games and how they will generate offense, but barring some poor play, MSU should have some time to figure things out. The Spartans have just three games between Dec.18-Jan. 4 when they resume Big Ten play against Penn State at the Breslin Center. During that stretch, the Spartans will have three home games against mid-major squads, starting with Monday against a familiar foe.
Michigan State and Oakland play once a year and despite some close games and scares over the years, the Spartans are 20-0 all-time against the Golden Grizzlies.
Greg Kampe is one of just two Division 1 coaches who has been with their current school longer than Tom Izzo, spending the last 40 seasons with Oakland. All 20 of the matchups between Oakland and MSU have taken place with Kampe and Izzo at the helm, with the two coaches sharing a long-time relationship and similar philosophy to create as tough of a nonconference schedule as possible.
Oakland enters the game against MSU with a 6-5 record, including games already played against Big Ten squads Ohio State and Illinois. Oakland's signature win this season came back on Nov. 27 when they beat Xavier on the road, 78-76.
Michigan State basketball vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies start time
Matchup: Spartans (5-5) vs. Golden Grizzlies (6-5).
Date: Monday, Dec. 18.
Time: 7 p.m. ET.
Where: Breslin Center in East Lansing.
Spread: TBD
What channel is Michigan State basketball vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies today?
TV channel: Big Ten Network.
Stream: FoxSports app and Fubo (free trial).
Radio: WJR-AM (760) (Spartans radio affiliates).
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Michigan State basketball schedule 2023-04
Date | Opponent |
Monday, Nov. 6 | James Madison, 79 MSU 76 (OT) |
Thursday, Nov. 9 | MSU 74, Southern Indiana 51 |
Tuesday, Nov. 14 | Duke 74, MSU 65 |
Friday, Nov. 17 | MSU 74, Butler 54 |
Sunday, Nov. 19 | MSU 81, Alcorn State 49 |
Thursday, Nov. 23 | Arizona 74, MSU 68 |
Tuesday, Nov. 28 | MSU 86, Georgia Southern 55 |
Tuesday, Dec. 5 | Wisconsin 70, Michigan State 57 |
Sunday, Dec. 10 | Nebraska 77, MSU 70 |
Saturday, Dec. 16 | MSU 88, Baylor 64 |
Monday, Dec. 18 | vs. Oakland, 7 p.m. |
Thursday, Dec. 21 | vs. Stony Brook, 6:30 p.m. |
Saturday, Dec. 30 | vs. Indiana State, 2 p.m. |
Thursday, Jan. 4 | vs. Penn State, 7 p.m. |
Find Michigan State's entire 2023-24 schedule.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies: Time and TV
