Kansas-Kentucky arrives early enough to expose both teams’ growing pains

Kansas and Kentucky meet in Chicago on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 9:30 p.m. ET in the Champions Classic. There will be plenty of attention on the final score. For informed fans, the more interesting question may be how two talented teams solve problems that early in a season.

Kansas opens against Fordham on Nov. 2 and Middle Tennessee on Nov. 6. Kentucky begins with Manhattan on Nov. 3 and James Madison on Nov. 6. Neither will have a long run of regular-season games before facing the other at the United Center.

Talent is not the same as a settled rotation

Kansas coach Bill Self has a roster that includes freshman Tyran Stokes, freshman guard Taylen Kinney and senior transfer Dennis Parker Jr. Kentucky coach Mark Pope has sophomore center Malachi Moreno, senior forward Milan Momcilovic and junior guard Zoom Diallo among his options.

Those players bring different sizes and experiences to this matchup. What nobody can know from a roster listing is which five will make the cleanest decisions together with a close game on the line.

That is where a game like this earns its place on the calendar. Watch who initiates offense after a timeout. Watch whether a defensive rebound starts an organized possession or a hurried one. Watch which combinations a coach returns to after an opponent’s scoring run.

November’s lessons will carry forward

A loss in Chicago would not define either season. Kansas has more high-level tests close behind it, including a scheduled November event with Auburn or West Virginia. Kentucky meets Indiana later in the month and travels to Virginia for the SEC/ACC Challenge on Dec. 2.

The winner will take a valuable early result. Both teams should leave with a more useful account of where their work stands.

Kansas-Kentucky is a major game because the programs are major. It is also valuable because it comes before either roster has had time to hide its rough edges.

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