EAST LANSING— Michigan State men’s basketball is spending Thanksgiving week in the Aloha state for the 2024 Maui Invitational.
This is the first time the Spartans have appeared in the Maui Invitational since 2019; they haven’t won it since 1991 when they topped Arkansas 86-71. MSU (4-1) will take on Colorado (4-0) in game two for the first round of the Maui Invitational on Monday evening.
The last time the Spartans and Buffaloes went head-to-head was in the first round of the NCAA Division I men’s tournament in 2003. MSU topped Colorado 79-64.
The Spartans hold a 3-1 lead in their all-time series record against the Buffaloes. Colorado beat MSU once in 1956 in the two schools’ first-ever meeting.
Over their first five games, the Spartans have underperformed from behind the arc, putting up a 22.1% three-point shooting percentage. Senior guard Jaden Akins and senior forward Frankie Fidler are tied to lead the team with five threes each on the season.
Scouting Colorado
Colorado is coming off a four-game home stretch and four straight wins coming into this matchup. The Buffaloes are currently led by graduate forward Andrej Jakimovski in points with 14.3 per game and graduate forward Trevor Baskin in rebounds with an average of 7 per game.
From behind the arc Colorado has put up a 40.2% shooting percentage. Jakimovski leads the team with eight made threes and seven Buffs have a three-point percentage over 35% on the season thus far.
Colorado is also consistent from the free-throw line, with a 78.4% free-throw percentage over its first four games. Graduate center Elijah Malone and Baskin have made the most free throw attempts with 20 each, Malone went 17-20 and Baskin went 13-20.
Looking forward
If the Spartans get past the Buffs, they will play the winner of game one, Memphis-No. 2 UConn. If they fall to the Buffs, they will play the loser of that matchup.
MSU’s second game will be played on Tuesday. To close out the Maui Invitational, MSU could possibly play Auburn, Iowa State, Dayton or North Carolina on Wednesday.
The Spartans will start their Maui Invitational campaign Monday against Colorado with tip-off set for 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
