Michigan State vs Kansas: 5 storylines to follow

Nov 13, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Bryn Forbes (5) reacts to a play against the Florida Atlantic Owls during the first half of a game at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State basketball is finally back. After about seven months of waiting, the Spartans are set to take the court for their second game of the year, but this is the biggest contest of the early season for Tom Izzo’s team. The No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks are looming and this could be the perfect chance to show the rest of the country that No. 13 is way too low for this team.

The Michigan State vs Kansas contest is the second of a double-header at the United Center in Chicago which is known as the annual Champions Classic. Some people are even calling it the ‘Final Four in November’ because of its serious postseason implications.

Two ranked teams are going to lose tonight in Chicago, and the Spartans are going to make sure it’s not them.

Let’s take a look at a few storylines we should be following heading into tonight’s game against the Jayhawks.

5. Can MSU improve on free throws?

Nov 13, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Javon Bess (2) shoots a free throw against the Florida Atlantic Owls during the second half of a game at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. MSU won 82-55. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, Michigan State ranked 336th out of 351 teams in the country in terms of free throw percentage, making just 66.3 percent of their shots from the foul line. This season, Michigan State made 17-of-28 (60.7%) free throws in their first contest against Florida Atlantic.

Improvement needs to be made in order to have a shot at a national title this year. Much has been said about Izzo’s constant harping of the importance of making those shots to his team and many had claimed that the Spartans had been working on it all summer and improved greatly.

In the exhibition games, they looked solid from the line, but when it actually counted against the Owls last week, the Spartans laid an egg and shot worse than their bottom-15 mark from last season.

Will Michigan State shoot over 70 percent of the line and join the rest of the country’s top-tier teams?

Next: 4. Michigan State's post presence