James Madison pulls off a stunner, upsets No. 4 Michigan State

One day into the college basketball season, there has already been a massive upset. James Madison traveled to East Lansing and will get back on the plane with a shocking win against No. 4 Michigan State in overtime. In a year where Tom Izzo had a ton of hype, the Spartans have crashed back to reality in just one game.

Now, James Madison is not your ordinary opening game of the season. Most high-major teams across the country today played a directional school most people have not heard of. But Michigan State got the preseason favorites in the Sun Belt to start their 2023-2024 season.

Of the 14 head coaches in the Sun Belt, half of them picked James Madison to win the conference. NCAA Tournament hopes were real for the Dukes entering the season and now having a win like Michigan State on the resume, they have to feel pretty good.

The story of the night from Michigan State’s perspective was three-point shooting. They shot a staggering 5% from behind the arc, making just one of 20 attempts. Maybe the most frustrating part, though, was not getting a shot up in the final seconds of overtime.

On the bright side for the Spartans, Tyson Walker was fantastic. He finished with 35 points, five rebounds, and three assists. The Big Ten Network broadcast noted how it was Walker’s sixth career game of at least 30 points but now, three of them have been in losing efforts.

Michigan State set to play in Champions Classic in week’s time

Michigan State will have a quick opportunity to bounce back, with Southern Indiana coming to town on Thursday. But there is a massive game coming from the United Center in Chicago — the Champions Classic against No. 2 Duke.

We should have been getting a matchup of top-five ranked teams. However, Michigan State is likely to crumble in the updated AP poll following the loss. Maybe a win against the Blue Devils could help the Spartans get back on the right track.

The Champions Classic used to be how the four programs opened their seasons. However, it’s been pushed back and given them time to warm up before facing off against one of the best teams in the country.

Rarely have they entered the contest with a loss already on the record. Unfortunately, Michigan State will be at least 1-1, and for Izzo’s sake — hopefully not 0-2.