Kansas vs Kentucky: 3 key storylines for 2023 Champions Classic matchup

Young Kentucky guards go up against best perimeter defender in cbb

Kentucky has several five-star freshmen playing in this game, led by the star duo of Rob Dillingham (14.5 ppg and 3.5 apg) and DJ Wagner (12.0 ppg and 3.5 apg) Dillingham actually came off the bench in the first game and the team looks to spread out the guards in various rotations to have at least one great scorer on the court at all times.

They go up against Dajuan Harris, the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. The 6’1 ball-handler isn’t much of a scorer, scoring just two points combined in the first two games. But Harris does have 15 assists and one-on-one is an elite individual defender. But Kentucky doesn’t have one clear ball-handler to key in on so who will Harris take? And the bigger question is the impact of freshman Elmarko Jackson, who also hasn’t scored much but also is a quality defender as a true freshman.

Adding Reed Sheppard (Kentucky) and Nicolas Timberlake (Kansas) to the fold and it’s a fairly even matchup on paper. Of course, the experience leans towards the Jayhawks and this is the biggest game of the young careers for Big Blue Nation. The impact of Harris could determine the outcome of the game, as potential foul trouble or a dominant defensive effort could be in play too.