Kentucky and Duke meet in a bigtime matchup at the Champions Classic; which program gets the huge win to kick off their season?
TV schedule: Tuesday, November 9, 9:30 pm (approx) ET. ESPN
Arena: Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
The Champions Classic throws us back into the college basketball season, matching up a pair of schools that unexpectedly floundered last season. Kentucky begins the year hoping to put last year’s disastrous 9-16 mark far in the rearview. John Calipari has spent the offseason building a Wildcats roster expected to succeed on the national stage but will face quite the test to open the season.
Among that talent are a slew of new faces, with freshman TyTy Washington expected to make a big impact on both sides of the ball. The offense gets a boost with Davidson transfer Kellan Grady (17.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg last year) and former Georgia guard Sahvir Wheeler (14.0 ppg, 7.4 apg). The most monumental addition is former West Virginia bigman Oscar Tshiebwe (8.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg), whose impact will be felt immediately under the rim.
Kentucky opens the new season sitting at 10th in the AP Top 25, with KenPom more reserved, ranking them 17th to start the year. One of the nation’s most inefficient offenses last season, the Wildcats now have the pieces and balance to put together a more consistent and well-rounded offensive attack. The biggest question is how the defense develops, though that’s rarely been an issue for Calipari’s teams.
Last year’s 13-11 season was a disappointment for Duke, though things should be trending back in a good direction this year. The Blue Devils come together for Mike Krzyzewski’s 42nd and final season leading the program, but has Coach K done enough to shore some of this program’s issues from last season?
Three starters from last season’s team return, even though the Blue Devils have some big names to replace from last year. Forward Wendell Moore (9.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg last year) and center Mark Williams (7.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg) begin a formidable frontcourt that’s anchored with 5-star freshman Paolo Banchero, an all-star prospect with size, skills, and ability all over the court. When fellow highly-touted freshman AJ Griffin returns from injury, this Duke team will certain have talent across the board.
Duke begins the new campaign ranked 9th in the AP Top 25 and 10th in the KenPom rankings. We didn’t hit on this, but this Blue Devils team is filled to the brim with talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball, an area this program lapsed in last year. If Banchero lives up to his billing and the supporting cast plays along, we could be seeing a lot of Duke near the top of the rankings this season.
These are two very talented teams looking to put last year behind them in a hurry. Banchero might be the most talented player on the court, but the talent and experience on the Kentucky roster cannot be overlooked. That being said, Duke is introducing fewer players into the fold and may have their defense working better on opening night than that of the Wildcats.
In matchups like these, it can be hard to pick a winner, especially with two teams ranked so similarly in a neutral site game. It may be prudent to lean on the team with the best individual player. Even though this is Banchero’s collegiate debut, there’s a lot of excitement in Durham to see him in action. Grady, Wheeler, and company are going to make the Wildcats one of the best SEC programs once again, but it might not be enough to take an opening night victory.