In one of college basketball’s premier early-season matchups, No. 6 Duke squares off with No. 19 Kentucky in the 14th annual Champions Classic on Tuesday in Atlanta.
The storied programs will meet for the first time since the 2021 edition of the event, when the Blue Devils topped the Wildcats 79-71 in New York. Tuesday’s matchup will look a lot different from the sidelines, as that was the final meeting between legendary coaches Mike Krzyzewski and John Calipari.
Krzyzewski retired as Duke’s head coach after that 2021-22 season, and Calipari bolted for Arkansas in April. They were replaced by Jon Scheyer and Mark Pope, respectively.
Scheyer, in his third year at his alma mater, has the Blue Devils 2-0 after blowing past a pair of outmatched opponents. Behind freshman phenom Cooper Flagg and fellow first-year player Kon Knueppel, Duke topped Maine 96-62 and Army 100-58.
When Flagg committed to Duke in October 2023, the 6-foot-9 Maine native became 247 Sports’ second all-time perfect-rated recruit to commit to the Blue Devils, joining RJ Barrett. Through two games, the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is averaging 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
Knueppel leads Duke with 18.5 points per game. Despite Duke’s leaders being just a year removed from high school, Scheyer doesn’t think his team lacks any poise.
“It’s been that way from Day 1, since we recruited these guys,” Scheyer said of Duke’s maturity. “I think all of that is contagious. … I think our freshmen are mature beyond their years. They’re about the right things. They’re about being coached, and I’m lucky to coach these guys. They want to be here, and I think that needs to show even more as we face adversity this season.”
Duke’s youngsters will face their first big test on Tuesday against the new-look Wildcats. Kentucky didn’t return a single contributor from last season, filling out its roster with a flurry of transfer additions.
So far, it’s been the signings of Dayton transfer Koby Brea and former Oklahoma guard Otega Oweh that have led the 2-0 Wildcats.
Brea, who shot 49.8 percent on 3-pointers for the Flyers last year, paces the team with 19.0 points per game, followed by Oweh’s 15.5. In a 100-72 rout of Bucknell on Saturday, Brea led the Wildcats with 20 points on six 3-pointers off the bench.
“I’m really proud of Koby,” Pope said. “Like all of our guys, he’s trying to figure out his space and how he fits, and if it’s really going to work or not. He’s boldly committed to loving this game as much as he can. … He’s been really special.”
Drexel transfer Amari Williams has added 12.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, while Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr has chipped in 11.0 points.
Kentucky leads the all-time series 12-11 but has lost three of four against the Blue Devils in the Champions Classic.
