Lansing Sun

Michigan State's men's basketball team is set to play its first game of the new year against Ohio State on Friday, January 3rd. The match will be broadcast live on FS1 at 8 p.m., with commentary from Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson. Fans can also listen to the Spartan Media Network radio call, featuring Will Tieman and Matt Steigenga, with Zach Surdenik as the studio host. The game will also be available on SiriusXM channel 381 and through the SiriusXM app.

The Spartans enter this game with an impressive 11-2 overall record and are ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press poll. They have been performing well across various rankings, including being placed No. 26 in NCAA Net Rankings and No. 20 by KenPom.com.

Michigan State has traveled extensively since August, covering over 11,500 miles for games and exhibitions in locations such as Spain, Atlanta, Hawaii, and Minnesota. The team has won six consecutive games and nine out of their last ten matches.

Jaden Akins leads Michigan State in scoring with an average of 13.7 points per game (ppg). Freshman guard Jase Richardson follows with an average of 9.8 ppg while senior forward Frankie Fidler averages 9.2 ppg with a notable free throw percentage of 91.5%. Junior forward Jaxon Kohler contributes significantly with four double-doubles this season.

Ohio State comes into Friday's matchup holding a record of 9-4 overall and a Big Ten conference record of 1-1. They recently secured a victory against then-No.5 Kentucky in New York City.

Junior guard Bruce Thornton leads Ohio State’s scoring efforts averaging 17.4 ppg, placing him eighth in the Big Ten standings for individual scoring performance.

Historically, Michigan State holds an advantage over Ohio State with an all-time series lead of 80-63 wins out of their total encounters spanning years past.