Lansing Sun

Michigan State's men's basketball team is set to face Nebraska at the Breslin Center on Saturday, December 7. This game marks Michigan State's Big Ten Conference home opener and will be broadcast live on BTN. Chris Vosters and Shon Morris will provide commentary for the television audience, while Will Tieman and Matt Steigenga will handle the radio call on the Spartan Media Network.

Michigan State comes into this matchup with a 7-2 record. The Spartans are ranked No. 41 in the NCAA Net Rankings, No. 32 by KenPom.com, and No. 29 in ESPN's BPI rankings. In their recent Big Ten Conference opener against Minnesota, they secured a 90-72 victory with notable performances from Coen Carr and Jaxon Kohler.

The Spartans have been successful in five of their last six games. Senior guard Jaden Akins leads the team with an average of 12.4 points per game (ppg), while senior forward Frankie Fidler contributes an average of 10.9 ppg and ranks seventh in free throw percentage within the Big Ten at 89.8%. Junior forward Jaxon Kohler averages 8.4 ppg and leads Michigan State with an average of 7.9 rebounds per game.

Nebraska enters Saturday's contest with a record of 6-1, having won their last three games including a victory over Creighton. This game will serve as Nebraska's Big Ten Conference opener following their recent win against North Florida.

Senior guard Brice Williams leads Nebraska with an average of 18.4 ppg, ranking seventh in the Big Ten for scoring. The Huskers have bolstered their roster with seven transfers this season, including Connor Essegian from Wisconsin who averages 14.7 ppg.

Historically, Michigan State holds a strong advantage over Nebraska with a series lead of 23-10 overall and has won most encounters since becoming conference rivals.