Yahoo Sports How Kentucky basketball matches up against Duke — with a game prediction
How the No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats (2-0) and the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils (2-0) match up at each position for Tuesday’s State Farm Champions Classic in Atlanta — with a game prediction:
Small forward
▪ Kentucky’s Jaxson Robinson (11.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 45% FGs, 30.8% treys) has some history of coming up big against a blue-blood program. Last season for BYU, the 6-foot-6, 192-pound product of Ada, Oklahoma, had 18 points at Allen Fieldhouse as the Cougars upset No. 7 Kansas 76-68. A super-senior, Robinson is yet to get his 3-point shot dialed in this season as he is 4-for-13 through two games.
▪ Duke’s Kon Knueppel (18.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 56.5% FGs, 50% treys) was only the fourth-highest ranked recruit (No. 18 in the 247 Sports Composite Rankings) that the Blue Devils signed in the class of 2024. But, so far, the 6-7, 217-pound freshman from Milwaukee might have played the best of all the ballyhooed Duke freshmen. Knueppel had 22 points in Duke’s 96-62 opening win against Maine and 15 in the Blue Devils’ 100-58 victory over Army.
Advantage: Duke.
Power forward
▪ A super-senior who transferred from Wake Forest, Kentucky’s Andrew Carr (11.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 72.7% FGs, 50% treys) has ample experience playing against Duke. While the Demon Deacons went 2-2 against the Blue Devils with Carr, the 6-11, 235-pound big man averaged 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds and hit 50% (20-for-40) of his shots.
▪ Duke freshman Cooper Flagg (15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, eight assists vs. four turnovers, 44% FGs, 25% treys) is the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. The reputation of the 6-9, 205-pound product of Newport, Maine, went through the roof last summer when he shined in a scrimmage against the Team USA roster — laden with NBA superstars — that went on to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Already showing his multiple skills, Flagg leads Duke in assists, steals (five) and blocks (three) and is second in scoring and rebounding.
Advantage: Duke.
Center
▪ Kentucky super-senior Amari Williams (12.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 71.4% FGs) has produced a points/rebounds double-double in each of UK’s games. The 7-foot, 262-pound transfer from Drexel went for 12 points and 13 rebounds in the Wildcats’ 103-62 win over Wright State in the season opener and had 13 points and 14 boards in UK’s 100-72 win over Bucknell. A product of Nottingham, England, Williams is known as an adept passer — which he has shown with five assists in two games. However, with nine turnovers, Williams could stand to tighten up on the ball security.
▪ A 7-foot-2, 250-pound freshman, Duke’s Khaman Maluach (8.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 70% FGs) was the No. 6 prospect in the class of 2024 in the 247 Sports Composite Rankings. A product of Bombek, South Sudan, Maluach had his first college double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Army.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Shooting guard
▪ Through two games, Kentucky junior Otega Oweh (15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, team-high five steals, 60% FGs, 42.9% treys) has flashed a consistent all-around game and an inconsistent outside shot. The 6-4, 215-pound junior from Newark, New Jersey, made all three of his 3-point attempts en route to 21 points in the win over Wright State. However, the transfer from Oklahoma went 0-for-3 from behind the arc while scoring 10 points against Bucknell.
▪ Duke’s Caleb Foster (11.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 52.6% FGs, 33.3% treys) is off to a strong start in 2024-25. The 6-5, 202-pound sophomore from Harrisburg, North Carolina, has scored 11 points and doled out three assists in both of the Blue Devils’ two games this season. Last year, Foster averaged 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Point guard
▪ To his first big game as Kentucky’s starting lead guard, super-senior Lamont Butler (10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 44.4% FGs, 0-3 on treys) brings the experience from the 11 NCAA Tournament games he played in for San Diego State. The 6-2, 208-pound super-senior famously hit the game-winning shot with one second left in the 2023 Final Four semifinals that pushed the Aztecs past Florida Atlantic 72-71.
▪ Duke junior Tyrese Proctor (12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 44.4% FGs, 50% treys) had 10 points and five rebounds in the win over Maine. The 6-6, 183-pound junior from Sydney, Australia, came back with 14 points, five boards and three assists against Army. So far, Proctor is shooting far better from behind the 3-point arc (7-for-14) than he is on 2-point shots (1-for-4).
Advantage: Duke.
Bench
▪ Kentucky super-senior wing Koby Brea (team-high 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 73.7% FGs, 83.3% treys) has begun his UK career on a torrid shooting streak. Through two games, the 6-7, 215-pound transfer from Dayton has made 14 of 19 shots and 10 of 12 3-pointers. … Super-senior guard Kerr Kriisa (3.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 17 assists vs. three turnovers, 28.6% treys) doled out a whopping 12 assists in 21:12 of playing time in the win over Bucknell. … Sophomore center Brandon Garrison (6.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 33.3% FGs) has dished out eight assists with no turnovers through two games. … Senior forward Ansley Almonor (10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 53.3% FGs, 33.3% treys) had nine points, four rebounds and two blocked shots in 13:50 of game time vs. Bucknell.
▪ Duke has used the transfer portal to build a deeper bench than has been the recent custom for the Blue Devils. Sion James (11.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 50% FGs), a 6-6, 220-pound super-senior, averaged 14.0 points last season at Tulane. … Super-senior Mason Gillis (9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 60% FGs, 50% treys) has hit 4 of 8 3-point attempts so far this season. The 6-6, 225-pound forward averaged 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds last season for Purdue’s NCAA Tournament runner-up team. … Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown (2.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 50% FGs), a 6-9, 222-pound junior, has had seven rebounds in each of Duke’s games. … Freshmen Darren Harris (5.5 points, 100% FGs on 3 shots) and Isaiah Evans (3.0 points, 2.0 rebounds) are talented.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Trends and history
▪ Kentucky leads the all-time series with Duke 12-11 — but the Blue Devils have won nine of the past 11 meetings.
▪ In his career, Mark Pope is 0-1 vs. Duke. The new Kentucky coach was Utah Valley head man when the Wolverines lost 99-69 at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Nov. 11, 2017.
▪ Third-year Duke coach Jon Scheyer has never coached as a head man vs. UK.
▪ In the Champions Classic, Kentucky is 1-3 vs. Duke. The Blue Devils are 1-0 in Champions Classic games vs. the Wildcats in Atlanta.
▪ Overall, Duke is 8-5 in Champions Classic games, while Kentucky is 5-8.
▪ UK started 4-2 in Champions Classic play (which began in 2011-12), but the Cats have subsequently gone 1-6. Kentucky has lost its last four games in the four-team event which also annually includes Kansas and Michigan State.
Advantage: Duke.
Prediction
Duke 93, Kentucky 89.
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