The highly anticipated matchup this Saturday, November 8th, features the #14/15 Arkansas Razorbacks facing off against the #22/21 Michigan State Spartans at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Both teams are entering the contest with an initial victory under their belts, as they begin their respective conference campaigns. The game is set to tip off at 7:00 PM ET and will be broadcast live on FOX.
Notably, the event pits two legendary Hall of Fame coaches against each other: Arkansas’s John Calipari, a 2015 inductee, and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, who received the honor in 2016. While the historical meetings between the two programs have been limited—both encounters held on neutral grounds with Michigan State winning each—Calipari has a competitive edge over Izzo in head-to-head matchups, leading 3-2.
A particularly intriguing element of this game is the return of Razorback freshman Darius Acuff Jr., who clinched the Michigan Division I state championship in 2023 at the Breslin Center, showcasing his dominance with a pivotal performance that contributed to a 78-63 victory for Detroit’s Cass Tech over Muskegon.
Calipari is on the cusp of reaching a significant milestone, needing just 22 more wins to amass 900 Division I victories. He is also poised to match Dean Smith’s on-court win tally of 879, placing him sixth all-time on the NCAA Division I wins list. Both coaches are tied for the fifth-most NCAA Tournament victories among active coaches, each with 59 wins.
Arkansas’s upcoming schedule is historic, as it will be the first team recorded to play all previous year’s NCAA Elite 8 teams, alongside four SEC opponents and several high-profile non-conference matchups. These include clashes with Duke, Texas Tech, and Houston, adding to the excitement of the Razorbacks’ 2023 campaign.
In their thrilling season opener against Southern, Trevon Brazile delivered an impressive performance, scoring a career-high 25 points and securing 11 rebounds for his 11th career double-double. Meanwhile, Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas made waves as they debuted with a historic dual performance; Acuff scored 22 points—recording the second-most by a Razorback rookie in their first game—while Thomas tallied 21 points along with a team-leading seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals, establishing his own historical achievement with the unique combination of stats.
This matchup not only promises to deliver high-caliber basketball but also represents a critical moment for Arkansas as they strive to make their mark this season. Fans can expect an exhilarating showdown filled with talent, experience, and the storied legacy of both programs. For further insights into the game, follow @RazorbackMBB on major social media platforms.