Getty Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe
Kentucky could have reigning National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe back when facing Michigan State on Tuesday, November 15.
The game (7 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on ESPN, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both come with a free trial.
Those are the two best live stream options if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch Kentucky vs Michigan State streaming live online:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Kentucky vs Michigan State live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials to do that.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch Kentucky vs Michigan State live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to do that.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 40-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with the ESPN channels, and you can get your first month for half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Kentucky vs Michigan State live on the Sling TV app or Sling TV website.
Compatible devices for the Sling TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling credentials to do that.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Kentucky vs Michigan State live on the Hulu app or Hulu website.
Compatible devices for the Hulu app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which does not come with a free trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch Kentucky vs Michigan State live on the Vidgo app or Vidgo website.
Compatible devices for the Vidgo app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Vidgo credentials to do that.
Kentucky vs Michigan State Preview
Fourth-ranked Kentucky (2-0) could get a big boost to its lineup on Tuesday against unranked Michigan State (1-1) in the Champions Classic.
Kentucky star and reigning National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe will return to the court for the first time this season according to a source via Stadium’s Jeff Goodman on Tuesday. Tshiebwe sat out the first two games due to recovery from a procedure before the season. Wildcats head coach John Calipari told reporters on Monday that Tshiebwe might play, but the coach didn’t give a final decision.
“He’s been doing the conditioning stuff,” Calipari said via Kentucky.com’s Ben Roberts. “He just hasn’t been on that court, and that’s totally different. My guess would be he plays 3-4 minutes at a stretch. If he plays. … Knowing him, he wants to play. But I can’t tell you right now.”
Calipari dropped a hint later when talked about how his team will adjust to Michigan State’s defense. The Spartans held its first two opponents under 65 points, which included No. 2 Gonzaga. Top Kentucky scorers Antonio Reeves and C.J. Frederick could have their hands full, Roberts noted.
“Not if Oscar’s in there,” Calipari humorously said, per Roberts. “You got your choice. Don’t let them touch it. Stay out there, and let Oscar go one-on-one. And then you trap, and Oscar’s been a pretty good passer. He makes a difference.”
Tshiebwe scored 17.4 points and grabbed 15.1 rebounds per game last season. That more than adds to what Reeves does with 20 points per game and Fredrick with 17 points per game. Jacob Toppin leads the Wildcats in rebounding with 9.5 boards per game, and he averages a double double with 11.5 points.
Part of Kentucky’s success also stems from the team’s experience with six seniors, four of whom play regular minutes at the moment. Tshiebwe’s return will make five seniors playing regular minutes — a rarity for top-tier programs that usually go for one-and-one freshmen stars. Spartans head coach Tom Izzo called it “almost illegal” when he spoke with the media.
“I think this is the best Kentucky team I’ve seen. And I say that because, as I told Cal, they’re almost illegal,” Izzo told reporters via On3.com. “They’ve got four seniors. He’s never had four seniors that I can remember, ever. And four good seniors.”
Michigan State can hang with the best in the nation, however. The Spartans came one shot shy of beating Gonzaga on November 11 in the Armed Forces Classic on an aircraft carrier. Jaden Akins missed a three-pointer as time expired in the 64-63 defeat.
“Well, it’ll instill a lot of confidence, but it’s no moral victory because you still gotta win games in this,” Izzo told reporters via 247 Sports. “But we did do a lot of things right. And most of them you wouldn’t see because they were scouting report things. That’s what you look for [in] a team, can they follow a scouting report? The problem is we had A, B and C on how we were gonna cover it, and Jaden not being there a long time, and then the other freshmen that weren’t there as much, that’s where it hurt a little bit. But at the same time, they had some problems, too. We feel good that we can play; now we’re gonna go try to play with Kentucky.”