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UConn vs Michigan State score, live updates, how to watch Sweet 16 game
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- UConn vs Michigan State score, live updates, how to watch Sweet 16 game
WASHINGTON -- The East Region is the gift that keeps on giving .
Michigan State and UConn should have a high-intensity feel driven by two of the top coaches and defenses remaining in the tournament. Friday's Sweet 16 game just might not be aesthetically pleasing.
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According to KenPom, the UConn defense ranks 11th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and the Spartans rank 13th. And both offenses look to get into transition but will focus on frontcourt play in the halfcourt set, with the Huskies led by Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban and Michigan State centered on Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper and high-flying forward Coen Carr .
These programs aren't foreign to March success.
The Spartans are in the Sweet 16 for the third time in four seasons and 17th in the past 28 years under Tom Izzo .
The Huskies return to the Sweet 16 after winning back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024.
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"I'm just excited," Huskies coach Dan Hurley said Thursday. "I feel like it's an honorable game for UConn, Michigan State. It's a great crazy Sweet 16 game. Excited to be in it."
Tonight's winner advances to Sunday's Elite Eight against No. 1 Duke, who beat St. John's , 80-75.
Here's what you need to know for tonight's UConn-Michigan State showdown, including predictions and how to watch.
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UConn vs Michigan State live score
UConn 67, Michigan State 63, final
| TEAMS |
1H |
2H |
F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan St |
27 |
35 |
63 |
| UConn |
35 |
32 |
67 |
Connecticut holds off Michigan State to reach Elite Eight
In the end, it was the veterans that got Connecticut on the verge of their third Final Four in four years with a 67-63 victory against Michigan State in the Sweet 16. Tarris Reed did his damage near the basket with a game-high 20 points. Alex Karaban had 17 points, including an important 3-pointer that stretched the UConn lead to four with 1:39 left. He also added a pair of pressure free throws in the final minute. Michigan State made a valiant comeback after trailing by 19 and took the leads a couple times in the second half. But the Spartans couldn't make it stick and fell short of a ninth Final Four in Tom Izzo's tenure. Carson Cooper led four double-figure scorers with 14 points.
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Connecticut edging ahead of Michigan State
Some poor shot selection by Michigan State and good execution by Connecticut on the offensive end have the Huskies in front 58-55 with 3:08 left in the game. The Spartans have been forcing the ball inside to Carson Cooper and Jaxson Kohler but failing to convert. The Huskies have taken advantage with Solo Ball contributing a driving layup and a pair of free throws. Their lead grew to seven before a brief flurry by Michigan State.
UConn and Michigan State trading leads
Now we have a game that seemed like it wouldn't turn out that way. Michigan State took the lead at 45-44 on a Jaxson Kohler field goal and foul shot. But Connecticut responded with a Tarris Reed Jr. layup off a feed from Alex Karaban. After a Carson Cooper's basket, Reed scored again to put the Huskies back ahead. It's now 51-49 with 7:40 left.
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Michigan State shooting keeping things close.
A couple of 3-pointers by Michigan State, including one by Jordan Scott as the shot clock was expired, have kept the Spartans in striking range. They trail 44-40 with 11:47 left. Alex Karaban has scored the last four points for UConn at close range.
Connecticut responds after Michigan State run
Just when it seemed Michigan State was going to pull even after awful start, Connecticut asserted itself. The Spartans opened the second half on a 7-0 run and could have even things with Coen Carr at the line for one free throw. However, Carr missed, and Braylon Mullins hit a long 3-pointer for the Huskies. A steal and dunk by Tarris Reed followed pushing UConn to a 40-34 lead with 15:17 left.
Michigan State trails but has momentum at end of half
Things looked lost for the Spartans, who trailed 25-6 early in the first half. But an improved efficiency on offense has got them within range at halftime. Jaxson Kohler's three-pointer - the first for the Spartans in the half after missing their first six attempts - and Coen Carr's layup got their big deficit down to 10. A Jeremy Fears layup made it 35-27 at the break.
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Given that Michigan State is 10 of 29 from the field and Connecticut is 14 of 25 shooting, this could be a lot worse. We'll see how the teams come out from halftime and if the momentum for the Spartans continues or the Huskies can pull away again.
Tarris Reed Jr. takeover keeps Connecticut confortably in front
Michigan State won't be getting back into this game without a solution to stopping Tarris Reed Jr. The Connecticut big man has been wheeling and dealing in the post and consistently scoring at the rim. He is latest basket drew a foul on Carson Cooper before the final media timeout of the first half. Reed has six points in a row for the Huskies, who lead 33-18.
Michigan State at least has stemmed the tide
After trailing by as much as 19 points, the Spartans have crept a bit closer with Coen Carr and Jaxson Kohler find the basket. Still, Connecticut is able to run its offense and get some easy baskets at the rim. It's 27-12 with 7:12 remaining in the first half.
Connecticut forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) dribbles the ball against Michigan State during the Sweet 16 of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.
Huskies on a 18-2 run and are cruising early on
UConn goes on 5-0 burst to take lead
What time is Michigan State vs UConn?
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Time:9:55 p.m. ET, Friday, March 27.
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What channel is UConn vs Michigan State? How to watch, streaming info
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The game is airing on CBS, streaming via Paramount+.
Michigan State vs UConn prediction, odds
Odds provided by BetMGM .
∎ Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press: UConn 78, Michigan State 73
How the Spartans react to another early deficit on their biggest stage of the season will be critical, and Jeremy Fears once again wills them back by halftime. But the Huskies' interior depth and strength, particularly Tarris Reed's physicality, gets Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper and Cam Ward into foul trouble and exploits MSU's thin post rotation. Ultimately, Fears' stellar performance isn't enough, and the Spartans' season ends short of last season's Elite Eight trip.
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∎ Graham Coach, Lansing State Journal :UConn 74, Michigan State 70
The MSU team we saw at Purdue, at Michigan, against Louisville, that MSU team can beat this UConn team, without UConn having to play poorly. The question is, if both teams have a stellar day, who's the better team? I think the answer is UConn, by a nose. Physically, this could be blood bath.
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Blake Toppmeyer:Michigan State
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Paul Myerberg:Michigan State
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Jordan Mendoza:Michigan State
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John Brice:Michigan State
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Matt Glenesk:Michigan State
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Craig Meyer:UConn
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Austin Curtright:Michigan State
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Ehsan Kassim:UConn
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John Leuzzi:UConn
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Moneyline:UConn (-130); Michigan State (+110)
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Spread:UConn (-1.5)
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Over/under total:136.5
Silas Demary Jr injury update: Will UConn guard play vs Michigan State?
The 6-4 guard was held out of UConn's first-round win over 15-seed Furman , rehabbing from an ankle injury he sustained in the Big East Tournament.
He was listed as questionable for UConn's second-round game, but ended up playing 21 minutes, scoring two points with four assists and no turnovers.
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"I'm feeling a lot better the past couple days," Demary said Thursday. "A lot of rehab, a lot of treatment. Try to get me as close as I can back to 100%.
"I'd say I'm feeling a little bit better, doing everything I can. Still going to do stuff once we leave here, try to get even better. Feel like I'm in a better spot than I was last week. Trying to get back to 100% the best I can."
Why is Bill Murray at UConn vs Michigan State Sweet 16 game?
Murray's son Luke Murray is an associate head coach on the Huskies' coaching staff.
Luke Murray is in his fifth season on the UConn bench and was just named head coach at Boston College. Before taking the Huskies assistant job in 2021, he was an assistant at both Xavier and Louisville under Chris Mack. He is in his ninth season on Hurley's staff across three different stops.
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Boston College hires Luke Murray as new head coach
Connecticut assistant Luke Murray has been hired as the new head coach at Boston College , the university announced on Thursday, March 26.
Murray is the son of actor Bill Murray , who has regularly been spotted sitting behind the bench at games for much of his son's coaching career.
"Today marks a turning point in Boston College Men's Basketball," Boston College athletic director Blake James said in a statement . "In Luke Murray, we have found a leader who does not just understand the modern landscape of college basketball - he has helped define it. His role in building a national championship caliber program, his sophisticated offensive vision, and his relentless pursuit of excellence make him the perfect fit to lead our student-athletes. We are thrilled to welcome Luke, his wife, Kara, and their family to the BC community."
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Is Jeremy Fears Jr a dirty player?
It really depends on who you ask and how you analyze Fears' game.
Some notable examples of this include him kicking Minnesota's Langston Reynolds in the groin , for which he received a technical foul for in a 76-73 loss, and being called out by Michigan coach Dusty May for "dangerous" plays in the first meeting between the two Big Ten rivals.
"I go out every game and I play hard. I don't intentionally try to hurt anyone," Fears said after Michigan State's game at Minnesota back in February, according to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. "I go out and play every game like it's my last, because at one point it was my last. So I don't take a game for granted. I don't take a moment for granted. So I'm going to go out there and play as hard as I can every possession, every game.
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"Like at one point, I had basketball taken away from me, so something I love to do, I couldn't do it for a whole year. So most people wouldn't understand that. And that's on them, I guess. At the end of the day, it doesn't change who I am or what I do. I'm just go out there and play 150(%) no matter what."
Are Jeremy Fears Jr and Jeremiah Fears related?
Yes, the Michigan State point guard is the brother of now New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears, who was a one-and-done at Oklahoma. Jeremiah Fears was drafted by the Pelicans with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn vs Michigan State live updates, score, how to watch Sweet 16
