Three things I want to see when Kentucky plays Duke in the Champions Classic
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Champions Classic preview: No. 10 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Duke
The Kentucky men’s basketball team opens its 2021-22 season Tuesday in New York City against longtime rival Duke in the State Farm Champions Classic. Click below to view all the stories previewing the game that have been published on Kentucky.com.
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Three things I want to see Tuesday night when Kentucky and Duke lock horns in the latest edition of college basketball’s best, if sporadic, blue-blood rivalry.
1. I want to see how Kentucky’s guards perform on the big stage.
We’re talking the biggest of stages. The Big Apple. New York City. Madison Square Garden. You know, the Mecca of basketball, as Rick Pitino called “The Gah-den” way back when. We might argue that point now, but the Champions Classic on the opening night of college hoops is 100 percent bright lights/big city.
Over Kentucky’s two exhibition games, its starting guards were its best players. Freshman TyTy Washington excelled on the offensive end. Junior Sahvir Wheeler was a notable nuisance on the defensive end, especially last Friday night when the Cats needed a second-half surge to overcome a surprising seven-point halftime deficit against NCAA Division II member Miles College.
[College basketball experts give their Kentucky-Duke predictions]
Start with Washington, who led UK scorers with a combined 33 points in the two games. The rookie was a perfect 6-for-6 from beyond the three-point stripe. The Phoenix flash looked smooth and comfortable in John Calipari’s offense. Nothing forced. He was also credited with eight assists compared to three turnovers.
Wheeler was a game-changer Friday night with his pesky defense, but the Georgia transfer made solid contributions on the offensive side as well. He was credited with 12 assists, compared to five turnovers. Four of those turnovers came against Miles. And turnovers were a problem for Wheeler as a Bulldog. So was perimeter shooting, however, and Wheeler was 3-of-6 from three in the two exhibitions. Tuesday night, he’ll be playing in his native New York.
We all remember two years ago when UK freshman Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points in a breakout performance as the Wildcats defeated No. 1-ranked Michigan State 69-62 in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden. Big Blue Nation would love for history to repeat.
2. I want to see how Kentucky rebounds against Duke.
The Cats outrebounded Kentucky Wesleyan 39-31 in the exhibition opener on Oct. 30. They outrebounded Miles 37-31 last Friday. OK, so the Cats did win the boards battle each of those nights, but it was not as if Calipari’s club dominated the glass against either less-talented foe.
As well, West Virginia transfer Oscar Tshiebwe led UK with a combined 22 rebounds in the two games. No other Cat was in double figures, however. Junior forward Keion Brooks grabbed nine rebounds. Freshman Bryce Hopkins snatched eight. Wheeler was next on the list with six.
And Duke is big. Calipari made a point of mentioning that fact several times during his Zoom call with Kentucky media on Monday. Mark Williams is a 7-foot sophomore who came on strong at the end of last season for the Devils. Plus, Mike Krzyzewski added heralded freshman Paolo Banchero, a 6-10, 250-pounder from Seattle. Coach K’s assistant, and named successor, Jon Scheyer said the two could develop into the nation’s top frontcourt duo.
Meanwhile, the return of Jacob Toppin could help Kentucky’s cause under the glass. A shoulder injury kept Toppin out of the Kentucky Wesleyan game. The junior played 13 minutes against Miles, scoring 12 points and grabbing four rebounds. On Monday, Calipari complimented Toppin’s energy, saying the New Yorker — another homecoming — was playing his way into the rotation.
[Energy and spirit make Jacob Toppin part of UK’s revised rotation]
3. I want to see Duke’s Paolo Banchero.
Kentucky went after the five-star prospect hard, only to lose out to Coach K. Banchero was ranked as the No. 2 prospect for the class of 2021, behind only Gonzaga freshman Chet Holmgren, by the 247Sports composite. Yet many way-too-early NBA mock drafts have Banchero projected as the overall No. 1 pick.
In his Duke debut, Banchero scored a game-high 21 points with nine rebounds in the Blue Devils’ 106-38 demolition of Winston-Salem State. It was Duke’s only exhibition game leading up to the Kentucky opener.
“He can handle it, pass it, grab or rebound it, initiate himself, run his own break,” said ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, a former Duke player and graduate assistant coach. “He’s a supertalented player.”
He’s also the first player in ACC history to be named the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year and Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Said Calipari on Monday, “He will be a challenge.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
