MAUI, Hawaii stands as the battleground where Penny Hardaway and his Memphis basketball team are set to face off against Michigan State. With the chance to claim the Maui Invitational title game on the line, the excitement is palpable. The Tigers, currently with a 5-0 record, and the Spartans, at 5-1, will meet on Tuesday at the Lahaina Civic Center. Memphis advanced on Monday with a thrilling 99-97 overtime upset win over No. 2 UConn, while Tom Izzo's Michigan State handled Colorado with a 72-56 victory.

Importance and Challenges Ahead

As Izzo stated, "We've got our work cut out for us tomorrow." Monday's win over UConn saw Hardaway give credit to his players for realizing the significance of such games. He emphasized the need to get it right now as they don't have the luxury of waiting for conference play to begin. The team is working hard to acclimate and get to know each other while under a ton of pressure to perform better than expected.

Game Details and Logistics

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 26Time: 5 p.m. CTLocation: Lahaina Civic CenterTV channel: ESPN (Dan Shulman, play-by-play; Jay Bilas, color analyst)Streaming: ESPN+Radio: 98.9-FM The Roar (Dave Woloshin, play-by-play; Matt Dillon, color analyst)Memphis vs. Michigan State will be live streamed on ESPN+, ensuring fans can follow every moment of the action.

Team Comparisons and Predictions

At tipoff on Tuesday, the Tigers will have had slightly more rest compared to the Spartans. However, Memphis needed overtime to beat No. 2 UConn, while Michigan State had a relatively low-stress win over Colorado. Despite this, the Tigers seem to be on a roll and are favored to advance to the Maui Invitational championship. Their performance so far has been impressive, and they have shown the ability to rise to the occasion.

Injury Updates and Impact

Tigers guard Tyrese Hunter has been dealing with a knee injury. Although he has played through it, there have been days-long breaks between games. When asked about his knee after Monday's win, Hunter simply said, "Just working with the training staff." The team will need to manage his injury carefully to ensure he is at his best for the upcoming games.

Upcoming Schedules

Memphis basketball upcoming schedule:Tipoff times not yet set (unless otherwise noted)Nov. 26: vs. Michigan State (5 p.m., ESPN, Maui Invitational)Nov. 27: vs. North Carolina, Iowa State, Auburn or Dayton (TBD, Maui Invitational)Dec. 4: vs. Louisiana Tech (7 p.m., ESPN+, FedExForum)Dec. 8: vs. Arkansas State (3 p.m., ESPNU, FedExForum)Dec. 14: at Clemson (10 a.m., ESPN2, Littlejohn Coliseum)Michigan State basketball upcoming schedule:All times centralNov. 26: vs. Memphis (5 p.m., ESPN, Maui Invitational)Nov. 27: vs. North Carolina, Iowa State, Auburn or Dayton (TBD, Maui Invitational)Dec. 4: at Minnesota (8:30 p.m., Big Ten Network)Dec. 7: vs. Nebraska (noon, Big Ten Network)Dec. 17: vs. Oakland (TBD, ESPN2, in Detroit)Memphis basketball news:Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.