NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
It’s Duke basketball and Kentucky in a top-25 matchup on Tuesday (9 p.m., ESPN) in the Champions Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The Blue Devils (2-0) and Wildcats (2-0) will meet for the first time since 2021 after Kansas (2-0) and Michigan State (2-0) tip things off in Georgia.
Two of college basketball’s blue bloods, Duke and Kentucky have combined for more than 4,700 wins, with 34 Final Four appearances and 13 NCAA championships.
Overall, the Wildcats have a 12-11 edge in the all-time series, but Duke has won nine of the last 11 meetings. Tuesday’s showdown will be the first that doesn’t feature Mike Krzyzewski or John Calipari on one of the sidelines since March 13, 1980 — five days later, Coach K was introduced as Duke’s head coach.
Third-year coach Jon Scheyer will be coaching against UK for the first time as the head man, and Mark Pope is in his debut season as leader of the Cats. Both coaches won national championships as players, contributing to the storied history of their programs.
Duke is 8-5 in the Champions Classic, including wins in three of its four games against the Wildcats. The last time the squads played in Atlanta, the Devils earned a 75-68 win in 2012.
Here are some things to know and a score prediction as the Blue Devils face Kentucky for just the sixth time in 23 years.
Will Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach give Duke basketball edge vs Kentucky basketball’s Amari Williams, Andrew Carr?
Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and 7-foot-2 teammate Khaman Maluach will have a chance to show off in front of NBA scouts at State Farm Arena. Through two games at Duke, Flagg is averaging 15.5 points, 9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Maluach also sits at 1.5 blocks per game, along with 8.5 points and a team-best 10 rebounds for the tallest roster in the nation.
Duke basketball’s ‘cheat code’ this season
That duo will see a lot of veterans Amari Williams and Andrew Carr. Williams, a Drexel transfer, is averaging a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/duke-basketball-vs-kentucky-prediction-134839846.html
Author : The Fayetteville Observer
Publish date : 2024-11-11 13:48:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
