NCAAB Game Preview - Duke at Kentucky
Tue Nov 6, 2018 9:49 PM EST

MSU
87
Kansas
92
F
Duke
118
KY
84
F
IdaSt
79
Gonz
120
F
Tows
42
UVA
73
F
(N/A)
41
Tenn
86
F
BYU
70
Nev
86
F
UNC
78
Woff
67
F
Morg
77
Vill
100
F
USA
58
Aub
101
F
PorSt
57
Oreg
84
F
E WA
34
Syr
66
F
Fla
60
FSU
81
F
Norf
44
Mich
63
F
IPFW
71
UCLA
96
F
Citad
80
Clem
100
F
SeLA
63
LSU
94
F
Fairf
57
Purd
90
F
W Ky
55
Wash
73
F
(N/A)
54
WIGB
110
F
StFPA
67
Buff
82
F
RocMI
67
E MI
77
F
KTChr
82
MorSt
102
F
Rider
70
UCF
84
F
LoyMD
55
StJon
76
F
Merrim
49
Seton
89
F
Sien
67
Prov
77
F
ChiSt
55
Ind
104
F
(N/A)
58
Ford
106
F
Brev
51
SCSt
99
F
AlaAM
63
SoFL
80
F
(N/A)
58
JMU
86
F
Maris
69
Army
73
F
Colg
78
NJIT
81
F(OT)
(N/A)
58
Hamp
110
F
Detr
76
W MI
89
F
(N/A)
56
VMI
89
F
YSU
53
Pitt
69
F
IL-C
67
ND
84
F
FlaAM
65
JU
50
F
(N/A)
66
Harv
78
F
Stony
77
GrgWas
74
F(OT)
(N/A)
48
Furm
102
F
Clev
63
David
83
F
(N/A)
39
Dart
114
F
Presb
73
Charl
85
F
WIMil
53
BC
73
F
IndSt
69
Ball
86
F
(N/A)
54
AbCh
107
F
(N/A)
62
App
125
F
JWCO
65
AF
90
F
FlGlf
66
IlSt
74
F
(N/A)
38
NoKY
102
F
(N/A)
56
Longw
84
F
GWebb
57
VCU
69
F
USC-Up
52
SouthCar
65
F
Bry
63
URI
97
F
(N/A)
57
Radf
91
F
Navy
44
ODU
67
F
MtStM
55
NCSU
105
F
(N/A)
54
UNH
108
F
Chat
80
UNCC
69
F
(N/A)
76
LIU
109
F
CenCT
75
Hartfo
68
F
ETSU
68
GASt
74
F
Penn
72
GMas
71
F
(N/A)
67
CenMI
98
F
(N/A)
52
BGSU
91
F
(N/A)
50
Akr
70
F
SacHr
81
HolyC
93
F
(N/A)
47
CoCar
91
F
TxWes
71
SFA
83
F
LaSal
67
Temp
75
F
ETXB
64
SHSU
85
F
UNCG
74
NCAT
66
F
UMassL
75
UMass
83
F
Del
67
MD
73
F
UNCW
93
Campbl
97
F(OT)
InWor
37
TxTch
87
F
N AL
74
Samf
91
F
(N/A)
69
MTSU
91
F
(N/A)
54
NIU
93
F
(N/A)
60
Troy
95
F
ORU
50
MOSt
84
F
(N/A)
55
N TX
89
F
(N/A)
48
UND
104
F
(N/A)
51
NrthIA
97
F
(N/A)
58
Nich
86
F
ULM
75
JackSt
66
F
CS-Ful
94
AzSt
102
F(2OT)
LaTec
71
WichSt
58
F
(N/A)
84
UTRGV
91
F
Alc
56
Tuls
73
F
TNTec
61
Mem
76
F
(N/A)
43
LoyMa
75
F
HuTil
59
Lamar
79
F
Boston
77
NE
74
F
GrCan
74
SDSt
79
F
Corn
86
Bingha
75
F
Copp
63
Wisc
85
F
(N/A)
65
Valpa
121
F
TXTyl
66
TexAr
90
F
StLeo
64
Rice
80
F
MsVl
37
Nebras
106
F
NebOm
76
Minn
104
F
OakCi
53
APSU
114
F
Pacif
74
SIU-E
65
F
E IL
59
Tex
71
F
SEMO
65
StLou
75
F
(N/A)
66
USM
111
F
CenAR
55
Mizzu
68
F
ASU
53
IaSt
79
F
Mercer
67
UAB
75
F
South
62
Bama
82
F
(N/A)
53
Lipsco
97
F
(N/A)
80
UL
121
F
(N/A)
68
ChaSo
100
F
DelSt
56
ECU
81
F
IUPUI
69
Xav
82
F
Elon
62
Manh
56
F
MD-ES
53
GTown
68
F
W IL
67
Crei
78
F
(N/A)
63
S UT
109
F
Leh
85
Monm
61
F
(N/A)
71
UtVal
96
F
Cnten
62
NWSt
102
F
UCRiv
59
OrSt
72
F
(N/A)
63
UTEP
90
F
UtSt
101
MTSt
71
F
UMBC
42
Marq
67
F
Maine
50
Denv
63
F
UMKC
45
LoyIL
76
F
SprH
66
NOrl
95
F
CmbTN
58
TN-M
91
F
NDSU
56
NMSt
73
F
Winth
79
Vand
92
F
TXSo
72
Baylor
69
F
Seatt
74
Stan
96
F
AKAnc
63
Fres
91
F
UCSB
76
Wyo
66
F
ArkPB
60
SDSU
76
F
(N/A)
103
Portl
111
F
NM
87
CSNor
84
F
USF
76
UCDav
42
F
Web
66
USD
83
F
Ida
68
UCIrv
86
F
RobM
62
USC
83
F
Bluebloods Duke, Kentucky open against each other
Tue Nov 6, 2018 11:56 AM

The 2018-19 college basketball season gets off to a roaring start Tuesday night when blueblood titans Kentucky and Duke face off in Indianapolis in the main event of the Champions Classic.

"Maybe because of where they've placed it, this has become a humongous event," Kentucky coach John Calipari said Sunday. "I don't know if any of us coaches are looking at this shaking our heads like, 'Why are we doing this to ourselves this early?'"

No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 4 Duke is the second game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. No. 1 Kansas meets No. 10 Michigan State in the opener.

Calipari says all the teams win regardless of the outcome.

"Unbelievable talent. Unbelievable team," Calipari said of Duke. "So if you win it's huge. It'll give you a cushion as you go forward. If you lose, you just put it in the rearview mirror, learn from it and go on to the next game.

"You play bad and win or you play well and lose, this is learning," Calipari said. "You really get a chance to say, 'OK, what are our strengths? What are some weaknesses? Is there anything glaring that we're going to have to address?' And I'll tell you, it's not bad that you address it right away."

The game will be a showcase for the best and brightest of college basketball. Twelve of the participants are alumni of the McDonald's All-American game, seven from Kentucky.

It is also a proving ground for the nation's best freshmen. Duke had the No. 1 recruiting class last season, including No. 1 RJ Barrett, No. 2 Cam Reddish, No. 5 Zion Williamson, No. 15 Tre Jones and No. 33 Joey Baker.

"This will be one where you'll find out, 'Can you guard people on the bounce?' Because that's what they'll do," Calipari said. "They've probably got three or four guys that catch it and they're driving it."

The most unlikely weapon in that regard is Williamson, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound monster who can dunk the basketball after lifting off the foul line.

"When Zion was little - and it's hard to believe he was ever little - he was a point guard," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. "He understands the game and he's got a good handle. Putting the ball in his hands is a smart thing to do."

Williamson's size also plays into what could be one of Duke's all-time best defensive teams.

"We've had some really good teams, but it's as athletic as '92, '01," Krzyzewski said. "They are wide and athletic and they're playing hard.

"When you do that the court shrinks," the coach said. "With their arms out and moving, you've got a chance to be good. Especially with the ball pressure Tre puts on. He makes that ball-handler attack him instead of running an offense. That sounds simple, but it's hard to do. But we have the capability of doing that. Then we have a chance to be a very good defensive team."

Kentucky had the No. 2 class with No. 9 EJ Montgomery, No. 12 Ashton Hagans, No. 13 Keldon Johnson, No. 22 Immanuel Quickley and No. 37 Tyler Herro. But the Wildcats also return sophomores PJ Washington, Nick Richards and Quade Green and added grad transfer Reid Travis, a two-time All-Pac 12 performer at Stanford.

"I don't want to make this bigger than it is for those guys or for me. I don't want to coach that way early. But I'll say that and will probably get more excited than I should," Calipari admitted. "But you don't do your best, whether you're coaching or you're playing, if you get too much going. You've got to be excited about the game and ready to go and have great energy, yet calm in the inside in what you're doing."

Team Record Comparison

Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Duke  
Kentucky  

Hot Players (Last 10 team games)

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