NCAA Basketball: Way-too-early ranking of 2022 PK85 Invitational games

PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 23: General view of a rack of basketballs before the between the Portland State Vikings and the Duke Blue Devils during the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational presented by State Farm at the Moda Center on November 23, 2016 in Portland, Oregon. North Carolina won the game 102-78. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

4 of 9

NCAA Basketball Jon Scheyer Duke Blue Devils Jeremy Roach (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

6. Duke vs. Oregon State, Legacy Bracket

This is probably the last of the three matchups that involved an overmatched opponent. That opponent is in a major conference, which could at least bring a little bit of buzz to the game.

Duke will once again be one of the best teams in the country and one of the most intriguing as well. No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero is off to the NBA and Coach K won’t be prowling the sidelines for the first time in decades. This is Jon Scheyer’s ship now.

Meanwhile, Oregon State is, well, Oregon State. They remain the little brother in their state when stacked up against Oregon, a second-fiddle in the ongoing expansion wars that will likely prove to prioritize the Ducks over the Beavers.

The Beavers were horrendous last year, going 3-28 after a surprising NCAA Tournament run. While Oregon State almost certainly will be better than that by the law of averages, they’re probably still stuck in the Pac-12 cellar.

Duke’s handful of star-studded freshmen will be the most entertaining part of this game and seeing how they perform under the lights of a non-conference tournament. Duke will have its State Farm Champions Classic game against the defending champions earlier in the month, but this tournament will still be a test.

Oregon State doesn’t look like a formidable roadblock for the Blue Devils, however, as they look to close out their first month under new management strong.

Home/NCAA Basketball News