NCAA Basketball: Takeaways from 2020 Champions Classic participants

A look at the biggest takeaway from each NCAA Basketball team from the 2020 Champions Classic double-header.

One of the best traditions for NCAA Basketball fans is the annual Champions Classic double-header. It features the Duke Blue Devils taking on the Michigan State Spartans, as well as the Kentucky Wildcats versus the Kansas Jayhawks.

This is a unique situation due to the season being delayed where this wasn’t the first game for any of these teams as usual, so both Kansas and Kentucky had already suffered defeats. Meanwhile, this was the first true test for both Duke and Michigan State in this early season.

This was a rare occasion where none of the four programs were ranked in the top-5, with each of them having their own weaknesses they have to deal with. A couple of them are youth and lack of three-point shooting, which was apparent in both of the games.

In the first matchup, Duke was able to run off to a double-digit lead early, as foul trouble became an issue for the Spartans. However, a late first-half run by the visitors allowed them to slowly creep in and takeover the lead, holding onto it in the final 10 minutes for the 75-69 win. Matthew Hurt led all scorers with 21 points but a lack of supporting help doomed his team.

Kentucky had a similar experience with Kansas, having their own big lead in the first half to take a six-point lead at the break. But they had no answer for Jalen Wilson, who had a game-high 23 points to lead the Jayhawks comeback effort to win, 65-62. Neither team shot well in this game but once again, Kentucky’s problems with the three-ball came back to haunt them.

Of course, it’s very early for each of these teams and it wouldn’t be surprising if any of them come back to make a national title run. Still. there are some issues that everyone needs to address going forward. Here are my key takeaways from each program.