The college basketball season officially kicked off on Monday, and it didn’t take long for fans to experience the first massive upset of the year.
The Michigan State Spartans came into the season with some very high expectations, ranked No. 4 in the preseason Top 25. But they were simply not prepared for James Madison on Monday night.
It was a back-and-forth affair, as the two teams were tied going into the final minute of the second half. Michigan State had a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but MSU star Tyson Walker missed a floater attempt as time expired, sending the game to overtime.
WE'RE HEADED TO OT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/UHXuttBMyh
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 7, 2023
Most of the time when a matchup between a powerhouse school and a mid-major goes to overtime, the bigger-name school will eventually pull away.
But JMU simply wouldn’t go away. And JMU forward Raekwon Horton hit his only shot of the game at the biggest moment, nailing a three-point shot to put JMU up by four points with 8.6 seconds remaining.
James Madison hits this DAGGER three-point shot to secure a shocking 79-76 upset in overtime over No. 4 ranked Michigan State.
College basketball is officially BACK. pic.twitter.com/2umEVtfVAx— The Comeback (@thecomeback) November 7, 2023
This would end up being the difference in the game. Tyson Walker was stripped of the ball on Michigan State’s final possession, leading to a 79-76 JMU victory.
JAMES MADISON STUNS MICHIGAN STATE IN EAST LANSING 😱 @JMUMBasketball pic.twitter.com/7FxVt0GTsn
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 7, 2023
Fans have learned over the years that anything can happen in college basketball. And this shocking upset is just another prime example of just that.
6 days after beating the #1 Soccer team in the country, James Madison beats the #4 Basketball team in the country. JMU will continue destroying everything the NCAA loves until justice is achieved for their football team being wrongfully banned from the postseason. ✊ pic.twitter.com/kNlwuMFoAI
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) November 7, 2023
James Madison University:
🐶 Upset No. 4 Michigan State in men's basketball season opener for second-ranked win in program history
🐶 9-0 in football, one of seven undefeated FBS programs
A great time to be a JMU Duke. pic.twitter.com/xRX5YGhuUp
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 7, 2023
Down goes No. 4!
James Madison takes down Michigan State 😯
(via @BigTenNetwork) pic.twitter.com/AKthCF1y5b
— SI College Hoops (@si_ncaabb) November 7, 2023
Michigan State loses a buy game to James Madison. The epitome of brutality.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) November 7, 2023
James Madison just took down #4 Michigan State
WELCOME BACK COLLEGE BASKETBALL 🔥 🔥 🔥
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) November 7, 2023
SHOUTOUT DUKE DOG!
THE JAMES MADISON DUKES JUST UPSET THE #4 RANKED MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS ON OPENING NIGHT! pic.twitter.com/ucf5oGnXef
— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) November 7, 2023
The Dukes were picked as the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference this year. So this win may say more about them as a true dark horse mid-major program for the rest of the year than it does about Michigan State.
But this is obviously an excellent start to the year for JMU in what has been a terrific year of sports in general for the school. As many stated above, their football program is one of only seven remaining undefeated FBS schools.
[The Comeback on Twitter, Photo Credit: Big Ten Network]
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.