By Lukas Witt

Opening night of college basketball kicks off at the Historic Madison Square Garden for the State Farm Champions Classic between the #1 Michigan State Spartans and #2 Kentucky Wildcats. Both teams got off to a slow start but that didn’t last long as Kentucky’s veteran Ashton Hagans made some key shots to get things rolling finishing the night with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley finished in double digits again with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. EJ Montgomery looked more comfortable on both ends of the floor finishing with 6 points and 2 rebounds but made an impact you won’t see in the box score. Nick Richards came off the bench tonight after rolling an ankle in the last exhibition game and finished with 5 points and 5 rebounds before fouling out late in the 2^nd half. Holly Rowe asked Coach Cal in pre-game where he could find a shot if needed, his response was that he didn’t know because it was early in the season. After tonight it’s clear that Coach Cal has an idea where shots can be found when needed. Freshman guard Tyrese Maxey had a breakout college debut finishing with 26 points, including 3 deep bombs from behind the arch, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Kentucky will take on Eastern Kentucky University at Rupp on Friday, November 8 at 7pm it can be seen on the SEC Network.