Giovanni Fanta
College basketball broadcaster and reporter
While the school basketball season has already been underway for every week, the unofficial occasion that kicked off the brand new yr within the sport, the Champions Classic, befell Tuesday night time in Atlanta. With No. 1 Kansas and Michigan State within the opener, adopted by No. 6 Duke and No. 19 Kentucky late within the recreation, there was no scarcity of rumors or storylines surrounding the heavyweight clashes.
The night time opened with the nation’s No. 1 group caring for enterprise in a troublesome scenario. Hunter Dickinson scored 28 factors and 12 rebounds to guide the Jayhawks to a 77-69 victory over the Spartans. But nearly as good as Dickinson was, the headline of the night time was his coach, Bill Self, who made extra historical past by getting his 591st win, surpassing Phog Allen to turn into Kansas’ winningest coach.
Later within the afternoon, the Kentucky Wildcats, with a revamped offense and a transfer-heavy roster, got here again from 10 all the way down to beat Duke, 77-72.
The Blue Devils had the ball with 26 seconds left and the sport was tied at 72-72. Cooper Flagg, the nation’s top-rated freshman and first total decide within the NBA Draft, caught the ball and was stripped earlier than fouling Kentucky’s Otega Oweh. With his group down two and 10 seconds left, Flagg acquired the cross down the sphere and drove down the left aspect earlier than dropping his grip on the ball and his foot, leading to a vital turnover. Lamont Butler made his first free throw, after which an offensive rebound cemented the Wildcats’ victory.
Here are three takeaways from every of Tuesday night time’s Champions Classic video games:
1. This was private for Hunter Dickinson, who single-handedly dominated Kansas in a less-than-pretty recreation.
Tuesday night time’s Champions Classic opener definitely will not be on show on the Louvre, with the 2 groups opening the sport capturing 6-of-31 from the ground. But the distinction maker was the nationwide candidate of the yr and fifth-year Jayhawks senior, who dominated the sport. Tom Izzo stated on the ESPN broadcast at halftime that he was keen to do singles protection on the All-American if it meant the opposite Jayhawks had been snug. That technique definitely saved Michigan State within the recreation, but it surely supplied little resistance to the 7-foot-2 Dickinson. He scored the primary eight factors of the sport for Kansas. At one level within the second half, Michigan State tied the sport at 41, 43 and 45, with Dickinson offering the game-tying buckets on every drive for the Jayhawks.
When the Spartans put collectively one final drive to chop Kansas’ result in 68-61 with 2:38 remaining, Zeke Mayo missed a layup and Dickinson saved the day, offering the dagger putback that sealed the deal.
This was private for the previous Michigan Wolverine, who acquired boos from Spartan followers all night time. With lower than two minutes left, Dickinson gestured to the Spartans and their followers, tapping his foot on the hardwood.
“I used to be saying they’re too small,” Dickinson stated in his postgame press convention. “They cannot shield me. This was an important match for me.”
2. Michigan State lacks perimeter capturing.
You might actually really feel the departure of All-Big Ten choice Tyson Walker on Tuesday night time. Tom Izzo was relying on Jaden Akins and Jeremy Fears to take the reins of the backcourt, however Akins shot 1-of-8 and was a nonfactor, whereas Fears was 3-of-8 from the ground. It’s superb that the Spartans got here so shut and had been within the recreation with 5 minutes left. Omaha switch Frankie Fidler put collectively some stable moments, posting 15 factors and eight rebounds, whereas Jaxon Kohler had a double-double with 12 factors and 10 rebounds. Freshman Jase Richardson, son of Michigan State legend and two-time NBA Slam Dunk contest champion Jason Richardson, had some large moments with eight factors.
But the Spartans shot simply 3 of 24 from 3-point vary that night time. On the season, Michigan State is 12-of-60 from downtown. The regulation of averages says that we can not proceed, however it’s clear that Izzo has an issue on the perimeter and should discover a answer. This was a problem at instances final yr after Joey Hauser graduated.
3. Did Kansas seem like the No. 1 group within the nation? No, however Hunter Dickinson stated it higher.
Dajuan Harris, KJ Adams and Mayo shot a mixed 5-for-22 from the sphere, which was removed from fairly. Kansas additionally has a fringe drawback, because the gamers introduced in by the Jayhawks have to put the ball on the ground to attain and the catch-and-shoot threats, no less than proper now, are inconsistent. AJ Storr, a Wisconsin switch, and Mayo are ball handlers who can rating at a excessive stage off the rebound. But Self does not have an elite shooter in his arsenal, and it confirmed within the final two video games. Against the Spartans and North Carolina, Kansas mixed to shoot 11 of 38 from distance.
But Dickinson answered a reporter’s query within the press convention about whether or not this was the type of efficiency from a No. 1-caliber group. 1.
“I imply, there isn’t any higher report we might have proper now than 3-0,” he stated. “We beat a top-10 group, North Carolina, and we simply beat one other group that can in all probability find yourself being a top-25 group, Michigan State. Are there issues we are able to get higher at? Of course. But we’ll take this any day of the week.”
Dickinson ends its two-year run within the Champions Classic with totals of 55 factors and 33 rebounds in wins over Kentucky and Michigan State. On Tuesday he lived for the intense lights once more and his Hall of Fame coach received his well-deserved shine.
1. Andrew Carr and Otega Oweh confirmed their expertise alongside the way in which.
Carr, a Wake Forest switch now in his fifth faculty season, hit an enormous and-1 with Kentucky down 67-64. After a cease by the Wildcats, he was on his elbow with the ball when Oweh, an Oklahoma switch, leaped into the bucket and acquired a cross for a go-ahead lay-in. The duo mixed to attain 12 of Kentucky’s final 13 factors within the win.
Duke five-star freshman large Khaman Maluach was coping with cramps from 9:20 to three:57 into the sport. When he left, Duke led 61-55. When he returned there have been 67 every. His absence definitely modified the sport, however Kentucky nonetheless capitalized with Carr making an enormous distinction along with his presence. This is a win within the switch portal for Pope.
2. This is a studying second for Cooper Flagg and we should always bear in mind that he’s 17 years outdated.
Without Flagg, Duke would have been misplaced in its offensive execution past the ultimate 90 seconds of the sport. Some could also be vital of the freshman and everybody can have an opinion, however this is mine: Flagg will study from this and be higher for a recreation like this. The freshman completed with 26 factors and 12 rebounds together with a +/- of +27. His influence on the sport is aware of no limits. Yes, he was efficient on the ultimate two possessions of the sport, however we’re 9 days into the season. You cannot overreact to this.
One large takeaway for Duke: The lack of elite, constant level guard play with Jeremy Roach going to Baylor — sure, he was inconsistent, too — could possibly be felt late within the recreation. Flagg was the person Duke relied on, however a scenario the place Tyrese Proctor is up and down in a recreation and Caleb Foster isn’t but a vital participant, definitely was seen late within the recreation. Duke went 4-of-22 from 3-point land. Now, I believe this was an outlier for Kon Knueppel, who went 5-for-20 and will certainly reply from this one. But if he does not make 3s, the Blue Devils are in hassle in that division. Duke’s poor capturing from downtown made an enormous distinction on this recreation. Kentucky began 5-for-5 from deep and completed with 10 treys, together with an enormous one down the stretch from Kerr Kriisa.
3. Everything concerning the Mark Pope period is refreshing for the Kentucky devoted.
As I walked by the concourse at State Farm Arena on Tuesday night time, a Kentucky fan approached me: “Ultimately, the John Calipari period had a whole lot of unimaginable moments. But it was time for the tip. A breakup was the very best factor.” for us.”
You cannot argue with that fan’s opinions proper now. For the primary time in years, the Wildcats carried out all kinds of performs. This was not an over-reliance on younger folks, however reasonably on workers rooted in college expertise. All 5 of Kentucky’s starters are upperclassmen. And on an evening the place presumed star Jaxson Robinson had only one level and was a non-factor, the place Amari Williams went 3-for-12 and Kriisa shot 2-for-9, the Wildcats did not let a number of chilly spells outline them . They confirmed their depth by going for 10 factors, outscoring Duke’s bench, 25-6, and having six gamers rating no less than eight factors.
Tonight, Kentucky followers should be feeling their greatest in years. They have a pacesetter who’s one in every of their very own, a member of the legendary Untouchables of 1996, who proved he can do it with the highlight on him and his first try at an enormous win.
They belief within the Pope. And Atlanta locals will earn their month-to-month hire, if no more, from the Big Blue Nation.
As for Duke, the Blue Devils shall be wonderful. If anybody has strain on him, it is Scheyer, who’s in his third yr with a really proficient group that has fallen aside of late. It’s a Final Four or bust yr in Durham. Let’s see how the Blue Devils react.
John Fanta is a nationwide faculty basketball broadcaster and author for FOX Sports. He covers sports activities in quite a lot of roles, from calling video games on FS1 to serving as a lead anchor on the BIG EAST digital community to offering commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him to @John_Fanta.
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