Lansing Sun

Michigan State University's men's basketball team is set to conclude a two-game homestand by hosting Samford University at the Breslin Center on Tuesday, November 19. The game will be broadcast live on Peacock, with Jac Collinsworth and Stephen Bardo providing commentary. Fans can also listen to the Spartan Media Network's radio coverage, featuring Will Tieman as the play-by-play announcer and Matt Steigenga as the color analyst, with Zach Surdenik serving as the studio host. The game will also be available on SiriusXM channel 391 and its app.

The Spartans recently secured an 86-72 victory over Bowling Green, highlighted by an 18-0 run in the final minutes. Senior guard Jaden Akins achieved his first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. "He led the team in points, rebounds and assists (6)," according to Michigan State's press release.

Michigan State ranks No. 20 nationally in free throw percentage, making 80% of their attempts from the line. They have increased their average free throw attempts per game compared to last season. Three players are among the top-15 in the Big Ten for free throw percentage: Jaxon Kohler (91.7%), Carson Cooper (90.9%), and Frankie Fidler (90%).

Following this matchup against Samford, Michigan State will travel to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational starting Monday, November 25, where they will face Colorado.

The Spartans began their season with home victories against Monmouth and Niagara but faced a defeat against No. 1 Kansas during the Champions Classic in Atlanta.

On Samford's side, they come into Tuesday night's game with a strong start to their season holding a record of 4-1 after defeating Texas Southern at home. Last season saw them winning the Southern Conference Tournament before losing to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament's first round.

Samford lost several players from last year's roster but added seven transfers under fifth-year Head Coach Bucky McMillan. Among these new additions is forward Jaden Brownell from UIC who leads Samford with an average of 15.6 points per game.

Historically, Michigan State holds a favorable record against teams from the Southern Conference at 15-1 overall and remains undefeated under Head Coach Tom Izzo at 9-0.