Yahoo Sports No. 25 Michigan State upends No. 4 Kentucky in double overtime: What we learned
INDIANAPOLIS — Tuesday night was college basketball at its finest. Two titans of the sport, Kentucky and Michigan State, traded blows at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Just as Duke and Kansas, two more members of college basketball royalty, did in Game 2 of the Champions Classic.
The No. 25 Spartans surged late, winning 86-77 in double overtime to hand the No. 4 Wildcats their first loss of the 2022-23 campaign.
The teams swapped the lead 10 times. There were 14 ties. And neither squad ever led by more than seven (Kentucky, 20-13, at the 8:41 mark of the first half).
Amid this seesaw battle, a familiar face returned and dominated: Oscar Tshiebwe.
In his first action since Aug. 14 — the final contest of the team’s trip to the Bahamas — Tshiebwe appeared to be at the peak of his powers following knee surgery last month. He notched yet another double-double (accomplishing the feat in 18 minutes), finishing with a team-high 22 points and 18 rebounds before fouling out in the first overtime.
But Michigan State’s Joey Hauser scored a game-high 23 and the Spartans took advantage of Tshiebwe’s absence after his fifth foul, pulling away in the second extra period by attacking the paint.
Coaches Poll: North Carolina holds off Gonzaga for No. 1 spot in USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll
Recruiting: No. 1 basketball prospect, Camden (N.J.) High senior DJ Wagner, commits to Kentucky
It nearly was the second narrow loss in as many games for the Spartans (2-1). After falling to No. 2 Gonzaga by a single point (62-61) on the USS Abraham Lincoln last week in San Diego, Tom Izzo’s crew headed back northward a game above .500.
After this setback, Kentucky now gets a breather of sorts: It hosts South Carolina State at 7 p.m. Thursday at Rupp Arena.
Then, arguably the biggest challenge of the season awaits: a road game against Gonzaga in Spokane, Washington, set for 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Tshiebwe in dominant form
Tshiebwe didn’t start. But he might as well have, as he played 34 minutes.
In his time on the court, he reminded the entire country why he won every piece of individual hardware imaginable last season.
He subbed in with 14:55 to go in the first half. He missed his first jumper. His first points of the season came off — what else? — a putback, thanks to an offensive rebound. Tshiebwe averaged a point a minute in the first half (11 points in 11 minutes). His point and rebound total (seven) led all players in the opening 20 minutes.
He matched himself offensively in the second half, scoring 11 more points. He grabbed eight more rebounds. He fouled out in the first overtime with 32 seconds left.
But how much more could he possibly have done?
After all he did last season, should his outing Tuesday really be that surprising?
Under normal circumstances, no. But this was his first action, against players other than his teammates, in three months. And it didn’t come against a pushover. Izzo’s teams are as tough and physical — especially in the post — as any team in America.
Yet Tshiebwe shrugged it off. Smiled. And undoubtedly was the game’s best player.
Tshiebwe wasn’t the only Wildcat who made his first appearance of the season Tuesday. Following the unexpected death of his father, sophomore forward Daimion Collins missed UK’s first two games.
In 17 minutes, Collins had one point (on a free throw), one rebound (defensive) and one steal (with 10:50 to go, when UK led 46-44). He finished with a plus-minus score of negative-8, the worst mark of any player, on either team, in Tuesday’s game.
Tshiebwe's absence felt in 2OT
C.J. Fredrick made a jumper in the paint to push Kentucky ahead 73-71. Michigan State tied it again before Wallace nailed a 3 in the corner to give the Wildcats a 76-73 lead at the four-minute mark of the second overtime period.
Then UK fell apart.
The Wildcats went scoreless in the next three minutes. The Spartans scored 13 of the game’s final 14 points to win by nine, including an alley-oop and multiple drives to the rim without Tshiebwe there to deter such efforts.
Cason Wallace impresses on national stage
Those who didn’t know about Wallace prior to Tuesday’s game surely know him now. High school basketball (and recruiting) fanatics already were aware he’s as polished a defender as you’ll come across for a freshman.
Still.
On one of the biggest stages in the sport, Wallace might have been the best defender in a game filled with future NBA players.
He collected eight steals, tying a single-game school record. The last was the most important: After Michigan State forward Mady Sissoko grabbed an offensive rebound, Wallace knocked it away.
Held ball.
Possession arrow: UK, up 61-60 and only 15.4 seconds to play.
Wallace then stepped to the free-throw line and went 1-for-2 to extend the advantage to 62-60. Which, had the Wildcats not allowed a dunk off an inbound pass in the closing seconds, would have been the night’s final point.
Regardless, it’s Wallace’s defense, not offense, that was his top contribution Tuesday.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Michigan State upsets Kentucky in double-OT at Champions Classic
