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 double-double at 12.5 points and 13.5 rebounds, but also 4.5 turnovers per game. Carr is familiar with the Blue Devils as a Wake Forest transfer. The 6-foot-11 big man helped the Demon Deacons split four games with Duke over the last two seasons, averaging 12.7 points. Because of Kentucky’s space and uptempo pace, the Wildcats could also see a lot of Maliq Brown, arguably Duke’s most versatile defender.
Sion James, Mason Gillis, Kerr Kriisa and Lamont Butler as possible X-factors for Duke, Kentucky
As experienced transfers, Duke’s Sion James and Mason Gillis have the aggression and assertiveness to serve as X-factors off the bench for the Blue Devils. James and Gillis have combined for eight steals through two games and an average of 20.5 points. Looking at the Wildcats, West Virginia transfer Kerr Kriisa is coming off a 12-assist performance and San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler, who has Final Four experience, is averaging 10 points as an underrated starter for the Wildcats.
Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster key for Blue Devils vs Kentucky’s Koby Brea, Otega Oweh
Kentucky is fifth in Division I experience, according to KenPom.com, with its top eight contributors being upperclassmen and additions from the transfer portal. Dayton transfer Koby Brea is arguably the best shooter in the nation, averaging 19 points per game with a blistering 83.3% success rate from 3-point range. Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh is Kentucky’s second-leading scorer at 15.5 points per game.
Don’t forget about Duke’s Kon Knueppel
Duke is 140th in D-I experience, with Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor serving as the Devils’ veterans. Foster, who had his breakthrough game last season at the Champions Classic with a season-high 18 points, is averaging 11 points and 3 assists this year. Proctor had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in the 2023 Champions Classic. The Aussie is averaging 12 points and 5 rebounds this season.
Duke vs Kentucky score prediction
Duke 82, Kentucky 74: The Wildcats have more experience, but the Blue Devils have more big-game experience with Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor. Kentucky’s offense is a ton of fun that should be a joy to watch throughout the season. But behind another efficient scoring effort from Kon Knueppel, and the defensive prowess of Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach, Duke will get more stops down the stretch to disappoint Big Blue Nation in SEC country.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball vs Kentucky: Score prediction, scouting report
