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Kentucky Basketball: 3 keys to beat Duke in 2021 Champions Classic matchup

Nov 5, 2021; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Keion Brooks Jr. (12) and guard TyTy Washington (3) celebrate a three point basket by guard Dontaie Allen (11) during the second half against the Miles College Golden Bears at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2021; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Keion Brooks Jr. (12) and guard TyTy Washington (3) celebrate a three point basket by guard Dontaie Allen (11) during the second half against the Miles College Golden Bears at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kentucky Basketball Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Kentucky Basketball Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /

There might not be a fan base more ready to get to some actual games than Kentucky Basketball. The offseason has been about many roster moves but also thinking about the historically bad campaign of last season, where the team won just nine games total and missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013, which also was an embarrassing year for the program.

Yet the Wildcats‘ completed roster transformation has both fans and college basketball observers thinking big. A top-5 incoming recruiting class and several high-impact transfers have them ranked in the preseason top-10 polls and a favorite to win the SEC this year.

After scrimmages and a couple of interesting exhibitions, we’ve seen a glimpse of what Kentucky’s ceiling can be, but also some weaknesses that could be exposed by opposing teams when the games start to count. And the Wildcats have as difficult an opening opponent as one can have with the Duke Blue Devils.

They’re another team with a lot to prove, as the fellow blue blood also missed out on the NCAA Tournament, breaking a streak that lasted since 1995. Duke has one of the biggest storylines of the season with it being Mike Krzyzewski’s final year as head coach and what better way to go out with a national title?

This Champions Classic matchup follows Kansas vs Michigan State and will be a highly-talked-about game, even if it’s just Game 1. There are some star freshmen players we’ll get to see, including potentially the best player in the country over at Duke.

Do the Wildcats have a chance to win this game? Absolutely. But there will be some very important things that need to get handled to make sure that happens. Here are my three keys to keep in mind.