The Champions Classic, one of the tentpole events of the college basketball season, tips Tuesday night in Chicago. Once the sport’s opening-night headliner, changes to the schedule have bumped it to the season’s second week, but it remains one of the highlights of the early-season calendar and a chance to learn plenty about some of the sport’s biggest brands. Duke will take on Michigan State in a matchup of one-loss teams, while Kansas and Kentucky will face off in the nightcap.
Here’s something to watch for all four teams.
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Duke: Has Tyrese Proctor made the leap?
One of the main reasons for considering Duke a preseason national title favorite was the projected jump from sophomore Tyrese Proctor, who earned plenty of preseason All-American hype after a strong close to his first season in Durham. Proctor has been relatively quiet so far though, putting up just eight points on 3-for-9 shooting and getting outplayed by Arizona point guard Kylan Boswell in Friday’s loss to the Wildcats.
A slow week likely isn’t cause for concern, but it’s worth watching how Proctor’s game develops heading into another big contest against Michigan State. The Blue Devils need Proctor to be one of the most dynamic guards in the country, allowing Jeremy Roach to provide off-ball shot-making and freeing up room for roaming big man Kyle Filipowski to operate. Proctor draws another high-end guard matchup Tuesday against A.J. Hoggard and Tyson Walker for the Spartans.
Michigan State: How much will Tom Izzo trust his freshmen?
Michigan State’s season-opening loss to James Madison was a wake-up call, a reminder of the limitations of a veteran core running it back off consecutive 13-loss seasons. The Spartans have experience in droves, but Tom Izzo has been open about allowing his loaded freshman class to compete with the returners for minutes despite his usual deference toward proven production. But how much will he put on the youngsters in a big game like this one?
Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was one of the best passers in high school basketball, and his five-assist, zero-turnover outing against Southern Indiana was a positive sign that the skill set translates. Will that be enough to cut into Hoggard’s minutes? What about Coen Carr, the explosive athlete capable of playing multiple frontcourt spots? It feels like Izzo has to find a way to get him in the game, despite his shooting inconsistencies. And then there’s uber-talented big man Xavier Booker, who had a pair of blocked shots against Southern Indiana. He’s still likely in for a limited role, but him beating out older guys like Mady Sissoko and Carson Cooper up front would be a good sign for the future at MSU.
Kentucky: How will an undersized frontcourt hold up?
Without some last-second good news either on the injury front with Aaron Bradshaw or eligibility front with Zvonimir Ivišić, Kentucky will go into Tuesday’s matchup against the Jayhawks with just one traditional frontcourt player: West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell. That wasn’t a problem against New Mexico State or Texas A&M-Commerce, but it might be against Hunter Dickinson and Kansas. Mitchell isn’t exactly small at 6’9” and 231 pounds, but teams with traditional centers like Dickinson will almost assuredly go after him on the block and try to get him in foul trouble. Kentucky should have better depth at center by midseason, but until then, teams will be able to take advantage down low.
Of course, having Mitchell at center and surrounding him with guards creates some interesting mismatches, especially in a matchup with Dickinson, who struggles to defend on the perimeter. Mitchell’s passing ability and shooting skills should draw opposing bigs away from the basket and create driving lanes for the Kentucky guards. Most have been skeptical about how much John Calipari will use this lineup once he gets more frontcourt depth, but if it works well Tuesday, small-ball might become a central part of how Kentucky plays this season.
Kansas: Do the Jayhawks have enough shooting?
Kansas has made 10 or more threes in both of its wins thus far, a pair of 30+ point victories against overmatched mid-major opponents at Allen Fieldhouse. But perhaps the biggest question about this team was if the Jayhawks had enough consistent outside threats to keep defenses honest, which manifested in the team’s exhibition loss to Illinois late last month. While Dickinson is a capable shooter at center, opponents will generally live with him beating them from beyond the arc, and KU power forward KJ Adams Jr. is a non-shooter. Add in point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. being a low-volume guy from distance, and teams seem likely to dare the Jayhawks into taking threes.
Freshmen Elmarko Jackson and Johnny Furphy could alleviate those concerns. Furphy has made five threes in two games, and Jackson is also known as a capable shooter from his high school days. But relying on freshmen to space the floor, especially in their first big game, is a concern, and the Jayhawks need to consistently make outside shots to give Dickinson room to operate on the block.
