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Kentucky Basketball: 3 takeaways from blowout loss against Duke

By Lukas Harkins

LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 30: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Rupp Arena on January 30, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 30: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Rupp Arena on January 30, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 22: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 22: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Kentucky basketball was obliterated by Duke in the Champions Classic on opening night. Where do the Wildcats go from here?

Opening night in college basketball was interesting one. There were tons of superb finishes and performances that reminded everyone just why they missed the action so much. Yet, the Champions Classic, which was supposed to be the highlight of the night, mostly disappointed. This was especially the case for the second game, where Duke absolutely eviscerated Kentucky basketball for 40 minutes.

Seemingly from the opening tip, the Blue Devils dominated every possession against the Wildcats, who showed very little resistance on either end. Duke could score inside or out and UK struggled to get good looks on just about every possession. Even though Kentucky was the higher rated team in the preseason poll, Duke already looks in midseason form. Quite simply, the Blue Devils looked scary good.

Kentucky basketball, on the other hand, did not. At all. The Wildcats, despite being more experienced on paper, showed signs of youth and did not look the part of a top-5 team in the nation. Having said this, though, it is also important to remember that it is only November. For a program like Kentucky, making the NCAA Tournament should not be difficult. And, given this, it would be a mistake to think that the ‘Cats will not be one of the better teams in the country by the time March rolls around even with this disastrous opening night performance.

With this being said, here are my three biggest takeaways for Kentucky basketball following their loss to Duke.

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