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

1. Kentucky must find a way to defend Paolo Banchero

There are going to be a lot of stars in this Champions Classic matchup, including the head coaches themselves. However, the individual that will have the most eyes on them is Banchero, the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2021 class and viewed by plenty as the future No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The 6’11 and 250-pound big man is an elite offensive player, capable of scoring anywhere on the court and with efficiency as well. There just aren’t many individuals that can guard him one-on-one on the court and opposing defenses, starting with Kentucky, are going to have to find ways to slow him down.

From a positional standpoint, Banchero will be playing the power forward position alongside sophomore center Mark Williams. There will be times where we see him at the five-spot when Williams is on the bench, so look for West Virginia transfer Oscar Tshiebwe to spend some time guarding him down low. That would be preferable for Kentucky compared to the four-spot since Keion Brooks and Bryce Hopkins would have a tougher time with Banchero.

The player on the Wildcats who may be best suited to guard Banchero at the four-spot could be Daimion Collins, a 6’11 and 220-pound freshman that was ranked in the top-20 overall. He’s considered to be “raw” offensively and likely the backup to Tshiebwe at the five but has the skillset and athleticism to deal with the star Blue Devil out on the perimeter and on screens and such.

Even for spot minutes and simply trying to provide an extra defensive look, Collins could be key for the Wildcats in this matchup.