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

2. Kentucky has more backcourt depth than Duke but will it matter?

On paper, I would give Duke the frontcourt advantage with Williams, Banchero, and Marquette transfer Theo John over the Wildcats. However, the SEC juggernaut has the advantage when it comes to the backcourt, especially when discussing the ball-handlers.

For the Blue Devils, sophomore guard Jeremy Roach will be tasked with being the starting point guard and lead ball-handler. He split that duty with Jordan Goldwire last season and the results were mixed at best. Roach averaged just 2.3 apg and is viewed more as a combo than a true point. But with a good supporting cast, he should be in a position to succeed but if Roach struggles, Duke only has top-100 freshman Jaylen Blakes and he may not be in the rotation at this point.

Kentucky, on the other hand, has three players more than capable of running the point. Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler led the SEC in assists last season at 7.4, while Davion Mintz, the projected 6th Man, led the Wildcats in passing stats last year. And five-star freshman guard TyTy Washington may be the best player on the entire roster this season.

This trio of guards can play the point guard spot and both Mintz and Washington are capable of playing off-ball since they’re good three-point shooters. It creates a variety of different offensive stations for Kentucky to capitalize on and they don’t have to rely on just one guy to constantly be on all the time. If Roach gets into foul trouble, Duke’s offense could struggle. The Wildcats won’t have to worry about that since they have three capable lead guards.