Magic Johnson Praises MSU After Upset Win Against Kentucky

MSU pulled off a dominant upset win against Kentucky, and MSU legend Magic Johnson was very impressed by the Spartans.

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) reacts during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans were able to pull off a dominant 83-66 upset win against the #12 ranked Kentucky Wildcats, in which they looked much better than when they played the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Such a dominant victory drew high praises from legendary Alumni, the biggest name being Magic Johnson and he was very pleased with the team's performance, so he took to Social Media.

What Johnson Wrote:

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Magic Johnson attends the 2024 NWSL Championship match at CPKC Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

• "I love what I saw tonight from my MSU Spartans men’s basketball team. We beat Kentucky 83-66, another win over a top 25 team following a victory over Arkansas on Nov. 8th. We were 50% from the three point line, hitting 11 total, and the biggest reason we won. Jeremy Fears had 13 assists, Jaxon Kohler scored 20 points, and Kur Teng added 15 points off the bench."

The three major things in which Magic Johnson praised are listed below in more statistical depth.

The Three Point Shooting

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Trey Fort (9) shoots the ball as Kentucky Wildcats guard Jasper Johnson (2) defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

• Going into their game against the Wildcats, the Spartans had been abysmal in three-point shooting.

• Their last game against a ranked team saw them make one lone three-point shot out of 14 attempts, yielding a 7.1% three-point percentage.

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Cameron Ward (3) shoots the ball as Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

• Even against unranked teams, their shooting was still leaving much to be desired, with 24% of three's made against San Jose State and 28.6% being successful against Colgate.

• So it was a vast improvement for the team in their jump up to 50% in three-point shooting, and definitely well-deserving of the praise from Magic Johnson.

The Duo Of Jaxon Kohler And Jeremy Fears Jr.

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) reacts during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

• Sophomore Guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was an assist machine against the Wildcats, where he had 13 assists, many of which went to Senior Forward Jaxon Kohler.

• The duo combined for 28 points, and with Fears Jr.'s many assists, they indirectly scored many more.

• Such high levels of chemistry between the Forward and Guard were a big aid to the dominant win by the Spartans.

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) looks to pass during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

• Furthermore, Kohler had two three-pointers made out of two attempted, being a part of the deep shot revival against the Wildcats, aided by Fears Jr.'s assists.

• Kohler and Fears Jr. were key to the Spartans' victory, and if Magic Johnson could only praise the one part of the team, he most likely would have focused on those two.

The Strong Bench Play By Kur Teng And Others

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Kur Teng (2) shoots the ball as Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

• In a less-than-desirable game against Arkansas, the bench saw fewer than 20 points and were not shooting up to Tom Izzo's standard.

• However, against the Wildcats, the bench had a much better game and players such as Kur Teng rebounded amazingly, scoring 34 total points, 15 by the aforementioned Teng.

Michigan State's Coen Carr, left, and Kur Teng, right, go after the ball during the second half in the game against San Jose State on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• The great bench play is where MSU thrived last year and they seemed back to form against the Wildcats, and it is a very good thing that they played well enough to catch Magic Johnson's attention.

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) shoots the ball as Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

• After all, whether it be for the bench, the chemistry in Fears and Kohler, or the three point shooting, if MSU is drawing praise from Magic Johnson then they are doing things right and should hope to keep it that way.

Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on Magic Johnson's high praises for MSU basketball when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.