Kentucky
How Spartans Saw Offensive Explosion Against Kentucky
The Michigan State Spartans picked up a major victory against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Champions Classic, 83-66.
The Spartans get their first Champions Classic victory since 2022, which also came against Kentucky. MSU was in control of the game almost from the very beginning.
One of the most encouraging parts of MSU’s victory was how well the team shot the ball from the floor. Tom Izzo’s team has struggled to score in the first few games, especially from three-point range.
But on Tuesday night, the Spartans saw the ball go in the basket at a higher rate than they have all season. Kentucky has been a middle-of-the-pack defense in the early going of this season, and the Spartans exposed that, despite being a below-average offensive team themselves.
How were the Spartans able to hit so many shots and have such a big offensive performance? Let’s break it all down.
The biggest and most important part of the Spartans’ offense is how point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. sees the floor. He had 13 assists and leads the nation in that category.
Not only does Fears put up assist numbers, but he is seeing the floor so much better than in the last few seasons. He can read the defense and find an open player without letting the defense speed him up.
According to ESPN, Fears’ 13 assists are the most by a Spartan against an AP-ranked team since Mateen Cleaves in 1999. It is clear that Fears is on the path to becoming one of the best Spartan point guards, which is an exclusive list.
The Spartans’ young, unknowns also contributed to the offensive success, as players like Kur Teng and Jesse McCulloch made big shots at key moments throughout the game.
Kentucky went on a 13-4 run to cut the lead to 10, but McCulloch nailed a three-pointer from the corner to push the lead back to 13. The Spartans eventually continued to extend the lead after McCulloch hit that big shot.
Teng, a player the team needed to emerge as a contributor, poured in a career-high 15 points. The sophomore has always been a talented shooter, and he has the opportunity to show he is capable of being a big-time scorer for this team.
Teng hit three three-pointers, including a big-time shot near the end of the first half. This game can give him confidence as the Spartans continue to take on tough opponents.
MSU finally saw the ball go in the basket at a high clip. It may not be like this every game, but the Spartans should be encouraged by what they saw on Tuesday night.
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GRAYSON, Ky. (WSAZ) – New information has been released in the search for a missing woman at Grayson Lake.
According to game wardens with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Marly Kinney, 19, of Ashland, was last seen at Grayson Lake on Wednesday afternoon.
They say search efforts are focused on the water at this time and include Kentucky State Police aerial support, drones, boats, and K9 assistance.
Crews suspend search for missing teen for the night
The search is now into its third day, with officials saying on and off rain has hindered their search and that a group of 50 volunteers are walking the banks of the lake to help in the search.
Search and rescue boats have been seen at the lake as well.
Officials say there are still many questions, including if Kinney is still alive and where exactly she went missing.
They also say they’ve been using a variety of equipment, including sonar and thermal detectors, as well as helicopters and underwater drones.
WSAZ received a statement from Kinney’s family Friday afternoon:
“We are very appreciative of the absolute surplus of support from law enforcement, search and rescue, 1st responders, and all of the community and its volunteers that are here with us and for us searching for Marly. We do not even know how to express our absolute gratitude to you all. We continue to have faith she will be found and brought back to us. We know we have the very best people doing all they can to bring her home.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
We are still working to get more information.
Previous coverage can be found here.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
13 things more likely to happen than winning the Powerball jackpot
Hoping to win the Powerball jackpot? Here are 13 things more likely to happen than becoming an instant millionaire.
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Thursday, June 25, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
02-08-24-32, Cash Ball: 09
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 6-3-0
Midday: 9-6-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 5-7-6-0
Midday: 5-2-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
03-13-14-34-45, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
On Thursday, Kentucky’s home and away SEC opponents for the 2026-27 season were revealed and on top of learning the three opponents who they will play twice, there are some very intriguing matchups. In conference play, Kentucky will face six teams who are among the top 25 in many preseason rankings.
In SEC play, Kentucky will play Tennessee, Vandy and Ole Miss all both home and away. The home matchups include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vandy. As for the road tilts, the Wildcats will face Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Vandy. Let’s take a look at some interesting developments from the schedule release.
John Calipari returns to Rupp Arena (again)
In Calipari’s first year with Arkansas, he got the best of Kentucky when he came into Rupp Arena and left with a 10-point victory, a game where you could really feel the tension all game long in the building from Kentucky fans, which translated onto the court with the players. Last season, it was Kentucky who shocked everyone when they stole one on the road against a top 20 Arkansas team after a rough up-and-down season up to that point. Now, the two will face off again as Kentucky will look to get the win in Rupp and make sure Calipari doesn’t get two in a row in the building. It’ll be another highly-anticipated showdown.
Kentucky hits the road at Texas
This is shaping up to be a major challenge for Kentucky next season and may even end up being one of the biggest games of the season. Texas is seen by many as a clear top 10 team, with some even having them within the top five and when you combine that with the fact that the game is on the road, the Wildcats will have their hands full. The Wildcats fell to the longhorns in the 2024-25 season, and it’ll be a much stiffer challenge this time.
Which game could be a trap?
We don’t have the game-by-game dates yet, so it’s hard to say with a lot of confidence, but opponent-wise, Georgia could really give Kentucky fits. In Pope’s first year, his team struggled handling the physicality of the Bulldogs and now, they’ve retained one of their best guards for another year and have added physicality through the portal. Mike White’s teams love to make opponents uncomfortable and they could do that once again down in Athens. Another sneaky team to watch is Oklahoma, who will have very good guard play. Kentucky will face both teams on the road.
Overall, it’s a pretty fair SEC schedule for a Kentucky team who has the capability of a return to being atop the conference once again. Mark Pope has such a system-fit squad and he can do some damage in the SEC.
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