College basketball fans are in for a treat Tuesday night as two powerhouse teams, No. 6 Duke and No. 18 Kentucky, go head-to-head in one of the season’s most anticipated early matchups. The Blue Devils and Wildcats will face off at 9 p.m. ET in the 2024 Champions Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, following a game between No. 1 Kansas and Michigan State.
This showdown marks Duke’s first big test of the season after comfortable wins over Maine and Army. It will also spotlight Duke’s star freshmen, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, on the national stage. Flagg, projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft, is off to a strong start, averaging 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.
Kentucky brings its own storyline as Mark Pope, a former Wildcats player and member of their 1996 national championship team, takes on his first major game as head coach of his alma mater. Pope took over after longtime coach John Calipari left for Arkansas in the offseason.
Duke enters Tuesday’s game with an impressive Champions Classic history, having won five of their last seven games in the event. With an 8-5 all-time record, Duke shares the best record in the annual classic with Kansas.
In-game action saw Duke guard Sion James favoring his right arm after a hard screen from Kentucky’s Amari Williams. Earlier, teammate Khaman Maluach also exited due to injury.
Flagg displayed some smooth moves along the baseline, pushing his total to 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting and giving Duke a 54-45 lead. Duke’s defense continued to press Kentucky, forcing their eighth turnover, sending the game into the under-16 timeout with Duke leading 50-45. Knueppel, leading the game with 14 points, remained aggressive in the second half despite early foul trouble.
