Top-25 Clash Sets Stage for Chicago Basketball Showcase
Duke and Michigan State open a slate of three high-profile early-season matchups featuring national ranking discrepancies.
By Kofi Costa ·
The Tuesday night slate features three Top 25 matchups, with the headliner taking place at the United Center in Chicago.
No. 5 Michigan State and No. 2 Duke meet as part of the State Farm Champions Classic. The Spartans enter the game with a 2-0 record, while the Blue Devils also stand at 2-0. The betting market lists Duke as a 7.5-point favorite, with a total score of 145.5. ESPN will broadcast the game at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo leads a team that returned to the Sweet 16 last season after finishing 27-8. Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. returns after leading the nation with 9.4 assists per game while averaging 15.2 points. Forward Coen Carr also returns, averaging 12 points and 5.4 rebounds. The Spartans must replace starting big men Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper in the frontcourt. Izzo holds a 3-15 career record against Duke.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer brings back four of his top six scorers from the team that went 35-3 last season. The Blue Devils lost Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans to the NBA. Patrick Ngongba II, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, and Cayden Boozer remain on the roster. Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell joins the backcourt. Ngongba scored 28 points against Coastal Carolina in the opener. Cayden Boozer recorded 12 assists in the same game. Both TeamRankings and KenPom ranked Duke first in their preseason analytics.
The night continues with No. 3 Illinois traveling to face No. 16 Texas Tech at 8:00 p.m. ET on Peacock. Illinois scored 232 points in its first two games. However, center David Mirkovic is sidelined following foot surgery and an appendectomy. Forward Jake Davis is also out with a shoulder injury. Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland has guided the Red Raiders to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first three seasons. Star forward JT Toppin is recovering from a torn ACL and targets a return by the end of December. The Red Raiders have won 48 consecutive nonconference home games.
The slate concludes at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN with No. 24 Kentucky hosting No. 15 Kansas. Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. broke his foot in practice on Monday and is out for the game. Council averaged 12.7 points and 5.1 assists last season. Freshman Taylen Kinney and Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden Jr. will assume greater responsibility. Kentucky guard Milan Momcilovic made 136 three-pointers and shot 48.7% from deep last season. He scored 24 points and hit six three-pointers in the opener against Manhattan. Kansas relies on freshman Tyran Stokes, the nation's top recruit, and Purdue transfer Trey Kaufman-Renn.
The three games offer a dense collection of early-season tests for programs with high national profiles. The Chicago venue provides a neutral stage for these high-stakes matchups.
