Michigan State basketball vs. James Madison: Time, TV channel for 2023-24 season opener
Michigan State basketball (21-13 in 2022-23) vs. James Madison (22-11 in 2022-23)
Date: Monday, Nov. 6.
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET.
Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing.
TV: Big Ten Network.
Radio: WJR-AM (760) (Spartans radio affiliates).
Streaming: Fubo (free trial).
You can sign up for Fubo with a free trial to watch the Spartans all season.
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Game notes: The Spartans open the season as the No. 4 team in both the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll and the Associated Press poll; it’s MSU’s highest preseason ranking since opening the 2019-20 season at No. 1. That ranking lasted just one week of polling, as the Spartans dropped their opener to No. 2 Kentucky by seven points in New York. Their challenge tonight is slightly less imposing; that’s no criticism of the Dukes, the Sun Belt favorites (according to a vote of the coaches) who went 22-11 last season — their first in the conference — and nearly upset No. 3 Virginia in December.
That 55-50 road loss featured just two points over 13 minutes from Terrence Edwards Jr. The Georgia guard averaged 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals last season; this year, the redshirt junior is a preseason All-Sun Belt pick, thanks to his 45.8% mark on 3-pointers last season and 52.9% mark overall. The Dukes also return redshirt senior Julien Wooden, who hit 40.9% on 3s last season (while averaging 2.1 a game) after hitting just 33.1% beyond the arc over his first three seasons. JMU brought in a plethora of transfers, including New York native Michael Green III, who has plenty of experience with playing in the state of Michigan: he had 13 points in 25 minutes while playing for Robert Morris against Detroit Mercy in Detroit last season.
The Spartans, of course, return the bulk of their 2023 Sweet 16 team, led by guards Jaden Akins, A.J. Hoggard and Tyson Walker, who combined to average 37.5 points a game last season for MSU. Add in a freshman class that ranked No. 5 in the nation (according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings) — featuring guards Jeremy Fears Jr. and Gehrig Normand — and the recipe for success is clear.
After tonight’s opener, the Spartans get a couple days off before hosting Southern Indiana — the Screaming Eagles! — at 7 p.m. Thursday. JMU, meanwhile, will face Kent State on Thursday night.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball vs. James Madison: Time, TV channel
